The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-12-05
- BUWVVEIL. Is COPYRIGHT. 1895. sY THE AUTHOR.

Every night Of my life in those days
she would come to my bed to pray over
me, ever saying as she kissed me or
clasped my hand, "My son, remember
if you were to pass your whole life here
in poverty and hardship it would not
much matter so long as you attain to
the heavenly rest. - This teaching would
have been we'll had she only taught me
some worldly wisdom with it, but that
all essential knowledge was kept from
me, I being left to learn the ways Of
man in that terrible school Of expert
ence, the consequence being that when
after some months was launched out
in life was ripe and apt victim to be
caught in the worlds huge snare. In
fact, had my parents designed me to
become traveller in the Primrose Way
they could not have educated me to
better purpose.
Save when in the school I had never
been permitted to associate with other
boys, but was kept in the house, and up
to my sixteenth year hardly dreamed
there was evil in the world. was told
much about the wicked" but thought
that meant those who smoked tobacco
or drank whisky. I hardly thought any
/, women came under that category; but,
if any, then it must mean those who
came around selling apples and oranges.
The reader will see that when once
away from the shelter Of home, in
threading the worlds devious ways, I
would be crossing the roaring torrent
"on the perilous footing Of spear, !"
all but certain to fall into the flood be-
meath.
During my last year at school and for
long time after leaving it my father
and mother were never tired of talking
about my good education. Possibly they
were not very good judges, but I am
confident that they, after all, did not
realize the Importance of boy being
,, well equipped in that regard. Their
thoughts and minds were so bent ON the
other world and things unseen bulked
so hugely on fhem mental vision that
, there was small space left for things Of
this earth. They. good, simple souls,
were made for and ought to have lived
, in the golden age, when all men were
brave and all women true, where neigh
borly eyes reflected the love and faith
within, but IN our utilitarian days they
were sadly out Of place, and little Won
der if they had lost their way in this
world.
In their intense longing for the life
beyond the grave, their passionate de-
sire to walk the streets Of gold, they,
! by their actions, seemed to forget we
were ON this earth, and that we were
here with many sharp reminders of the
fact.
The same guilelessness was manifest
ed IN their choice Of our home readings.
The books was allowed access to in
the house were s'The Life of King Da-
vid," ''The History Of Jerusalem, :"
'Baxter's Saints Rest, - ''The Immor-
tai Dreamer's Pilgrim" and Fox's
Book of Martyrs His first martyr is
Stephen. and such was my gross igno-
rance Of his story that always supposed
Stephen had been martyred by the
Church Of Rome. Here was mental food
for boy who had his own way to make
in the world
Craving other mental food than "The
Life Of David" I used to club pennies
with q chum and buy that delectable
sheet, "Ned Buntline's Own," then in
fear and trembling would creep to an
upper room and read 1.-The Haunted
House" or 1.-THE Ghost Of Castle Ivy"
until my hair stood on end in sort of
ecstatic horror, or the stirring adven-
lures Of "Jack the" Rover'' odf Pirate
Chief" until my brain took fire and a
mighty impulse stirred every fiber, i'm
pelling me 10 follow in their footsteps
I had remained idly at home for some
six months after my happy release from
school, when one night my father re-
turned from New York and said, "My
son, have found a, situation for you"
That was delightful. news, and when
went to bed that night was too excited
to sleep.
So now at Is was about to sail out
Of harbor, and how equippedl
Absolutely without education, void Of
worldly wisdom and in my boyish brain
dividing the world into two sections.
In one was King David Staying the
PhiEstines or dancing before the ark.
, In the other were Jack the Rover and
Continued on last page.)
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