The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-09

Crossthwait was reserved man, silent for most part but when aroused to voice of such a gift of language as made men call him the orator. He knew the depths of 8 workingman's soul and how to sound those depths. On his way from his work to this home and back Alton's course took him by bookstore. It was kept by an old Scotchman named Sandy Mack aye and outside were displayed books for the chance passerby and possible pur- chaser to pick up and exarnine
 Alton looked, longed and fell He began to read, "Childe Harold" "The Corsair." taking a bit out of the books each day. He knew that 1t was wrong-that such thing were "carnal wisdom or worse. But how his horizon was broadened by theml He trembled when, after one of these dips into forbidden lore, he met his mothers eye. One day on his way home he picked up book entitled, "The Life and Poems of J. Bethune.' It was dark already, and by the fiaring gas light the boy stood spellbound as he read the story of the life and death struggle of the Scottish poet. Old Sandy came out anu called lU lllHis dSklnB llil Widt le meant by injuring his books by weeping into them. Then, as Alton hurriedly turned to go, the Scotchman called him back and inquired more of him. The boy submitted to the old mans questioning, and the result was that he was told that he might take books home to read if he would take those Sandy designated. An nthpr world n Alton Locke. The bookseller gave him Para disc Lost and Virgil to read. How shall I read this Latin when I know it not?" asked Alton. Learn it. replied Sandy and he give the boy copy of "The Aeneid' with an interliner translation Also he gave him a Latin grammar.
 That was enough; the boy obeyed orders. But all these things he had to keep from his mothers knowledge. He hid the books he took home from the book store under a loose board in his squalid attic room and read them by a rushlight after the rest of the family was in bed It was thus that Sandy undertook Alton's education, and the old man grounded him well-better than many son of a rich man has been grounded at the most expensive uni versity.
 One day, however, the widow discov- cred Alton In possession of a copy of his beloved Virgil. The whole truth came out then-her boy had been seek ing after strange gods and toying with the learnings of the heather and the reprobate. Alton, all nervous evcite- mo nt,f 1De+ Ia from the house by his stern old mother The poor woman could no longer doubt as to which side belonged her head son in the scheme of predestination.. Sandy Mackaye took the boy in and lodged him..
 Do not be downhearted," said the kindly man to the desolate boy. T am downhearted at times, and fancy all is wrong and there's no hope for any of tenn of government and society. At ev: universal liars rock substratum as MT Carlyle saves. I am a great liar my subsequently, when I am praying. But have something to live for Else why should I live on in this crooked body? can teach young men the memory of the old Roman times when folks did not care for themselves, but for the nation, and counted all dross in com parison with the great, Roman city,; that was the mother of them all and would last on, free and glorious, after they and their children were all dead together And I have the Cause to care for and to work for whether I ever see it triumphant or not on earth. But for that I'd take the cold water cure off London bridge" Tie Cause of which Mackaye spoke was, of course, the Chartist Cause.
 Upon Alton asking him What is the Cause?" the old man entered into dis auisition, and exposition and a diatribe. It was all very puzzling to Alton, but it made him sad-he felt that something was radically wrong in the existing sys- tenn of government and society. At ev- cry step which he made new, vistas open ed before him, new obstacles appeared in his way. new, perplexities and complica- lions, arose. The seotchman; with the fire