Year: 1860

/


leaving nothing 10 my mother but the,
charge of myself and two younger sis


ters. After selling the greater part of
our household furniture she owned, she


took two small upper rooms in W
street, and there, by her needle, contriv-
ed in some way--how | cannot conceive,


when recollect the bare pittance for


which she worked--to support us in com
fort. Frequently, however, / remember
having set down to q supper that consist
ed simply of "a slice Of bread, seasoned
by hunger, and rendered inviting by the
neat manner in which our repast was serv-
ed, our table being always spread with
cloth, which, like my mothers heart,
seemed ever to preserve a snow-white pu-
rity."


| Wiping his eyes, the merchant contin-


ued:


"Speaking of those days reminds me
of the time we sat down to the table one
evening, and my Mother had asked the


blessing Of our Heavenly Father on her


defenceless ones, in tones Of tender pa


thos which remember yet, and which, if


possible, must have made the angels weep,


she divided the little remnant of her loaf


into three pieces, one on. each of our


plates, but reserved none for herself j


stole around to her and was about 10 tell


her / was not hungry, when flood Of


tears burst from her ewes, and she clasped


me to her bosom. Our rmeal was left un-


touched; we sat up late that night and


what VIC said | cannot tell. know that


my mother talked TO me more as COM


panion than child, and that when we


knelt down to pray, l consecrated myself


TO be the Lords and to serve my mother


But" said he, this is not telling


you how neatness made my fortune. 1t


was sometime after this that my mother
found an advertisement in the newspaper
for an GRAND boy in commission store
in B street. Without being necessi-


tated TO wait to have my clothes mended,
for my mother always kept them in per-


feet order, and although on minute inspec-
, tion they bore the traces of more than


one patch, yet, upon. the whole, had a very
respectable air; without being obliged TO
, wait even to polish my shoes, for my
, mother always kept box of blacking
with which my cowhides must be set of
, before took my breakfast; without wait
, ing TO arrange my hair, for had been
, obliged TO observe from my earliest youth


the most perfect neatness in every respect
, my mother sent me off to see if / cold
, obtain the situation. With light step
! l started, for had for long time wish
! ed my mother to allow me to do some
! thing TO assist her.


Ny heart beat fast assure you, as
. turned out of W into B street.
!, and made my way along to the number
, my mother had given mo. l summoned
, all the courage i could muster, and step
! ped briskly into the store and made known


the reason of my calling. The merchant
j smiled and told me there was another
boy who had come in a little before me-
. that he thought he should hire. Howev.
e er, he asked me some questions, and then
! went and conversed with the other boy,
: who stood in The back part of the office
r. The result was that the lad who first up.
piled was dismissed and | entered the
merchants employment, first as an errand
h boy, then as clerk, afterward his part
! ner, until his death, when he left me The
: whole business, stocks, DC. After had
r been in his service for some years he told
a me the reason why he chose me in prefer
9 ence TO the other boy was, because Of tht
! general neatness of my person, while ii
i reference to the other lad he noticed thai
r he had neglected 10 tuck down his vest
q To this circumstance has probably beer
n owing the greater part of my success il
~ business. N. III. Statesman.