The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-08-18
THE POOR MANS BURDEN

Ahoh WIZ PAOVlOCo III d 1dl1llAy
OF seven children, says the Daily Re
publican, of Phoenixville, Pa, and
does it by day work, is a hero and
none dare deny the fact, for no such
denial would be accepted. Last even
Ing the writer met such man, and
he invited him to sit down for a
half-hour's chat. The man had one
OF his progeny with him, little girl,
well-dressed and as hale, hearty and
happy as a child could be. "This
one" said the fond parent, sis not
the youngest, as there is baby and
five other little ones at home, and
thank God they are all as hearty as
this one, and the oldest is not yet
fourteen, think of that l''
''Well, tell us about it, said the
writer, anxious for a good story, it it
was to be about raising and provid-
ing for children. "Well, to begin,' -
said the fond parent, II married
while young, without a dollar be-
tween me and the world. Little ones
the poor mans blessing or burden
which ever you choose to call it
came to brighten our home. All I
had in the world to keep the wolf
from the door were my two hands,
and I tell you I made good use Of
them, as I knew that I dare not be
idle. Good health and plenty of work
blessed me, and was always able to
carry something home at night for
my. wife. She was one who knew
what economy meant, and by Our
united efforts we managed to get
along fairly we'll. Our family kept
on increasing until now we have seven
mouths to feed. During the dull
times it kept me scratching, as work
was slack and wages poor, but it took
just as much as ever to feed and
clothe the children and my wife had
to have new dress or wrap once in
a while-and it took money, rain or
shine. Two or three years 1 ran be-
hind a hundred dollars or so each
year but never lost heart.
Finally I had the patriarchal
number of seven children to care for,
but, through thick and thin, they
have never missed meal nor wanted
for comfortable clothes. And you
don't know how it runs into money
to clothe family. A dollar or two
will rig one of the boys out from head
to foot, but not so with a girl. She
wants more and better clothes than a
boy. For instance, her shoes will
cost three dollars, her hat just as
much, and her dress an equal sum.
A ffty-cent hat, dollar pair of shoes
and a dollar suit will rig boy out,
and he will be happy and look like a
major general
hoa W. wtoSTE, what will become Of the
good wife and the seven little folks
then? And, suppose again, some of
them get sick and doctors bills come
in, what then will happen?
"But, thank the Lord" said the
man, "my family is healthy and 1
have nothing to do but feed and
clothe them. But look at the awful
responsibility. 1t takes every dollar
1 can earn, and then we must live
and dress very plainly. We can't
think of luxuries-of fine clothes,
journeys to the seashore and many
other enjoyable things. 1t means
work and save day in and day out in
order to make the two ends meet, and
yet," said the man with the family,
II am as happy and contented as any
man in town, and l would not ex-
change with the richest man in
Phenixville.
"Some day my seven little folks
will be men and women, and then the
burden will be lifted, and 1 hope I
will not have to work so hard. If
my boys and girls make good men
and women, will never regret the
years of toll and sacrifice devoted to
them, as they are all I have to live
for. If they should not do we'll, life
will then be failure for me. With
out some such reward there is indeed
little in life for a poor man who raises
a large family, and 1 am not surpris-
ed that many man who knows moth
ing but toll and privation gives up in
despair when he sees the children for
whom he has worked so hard doing
badly. Then he has no reward but
the rest of the grave-a poor reward,
indeed, for life of relf-sacrifce and