A BUDGET FROM THE LITTLE NAILER.
They have come! the long expected letters from "Jemmy Stubbing," or the Nailer Boy. I am sure they will be a treat to all the children that meet in our School-room. I hope all the benches will be full whilst Josiah's letters are read. And what a nice thing it was in the children in America, to take that little fellow out of the cinders and soot of the blacksmith's shop, and send him to school for two years!
Now many a little boy and girl of our school-room circle has contributed half a dime towards Josiah's education. I would ask that little boy or girl what he or she would sell out all right and title to the pleasure and consequence of that act for? What would you take in money down for your share in the work of expanding that little fellow's mind, and filling it with such new ideas as he expresses in his letters? What a new world he has lived in since he returned from school to his little wayside smithy, the roof of which can hardly be seen over the hedge! Think of it—but you cannot think of it as it is, unless you could see that nailer's shop and cottage. But think of what he was, when you took him from the anvil and sent him to school. Then he could not tell a letter of the alphabet, and never would have read a verse in the Bible, if it had not been for your half dimes. Now see with what delight he searches the scriptures, and marks and commits to memory choice verses in that Holy Book. He has taught his father to read it too, and is teaching his sisters, and the children of the neighbors to read it, and all good books. A great many young boys and girls in England have heard what you did for him, and some of them are beginning to write to him, and he answers them, and gives them good advice. The last steamer from England brought us a nice lot of letters from him, some directed to you, some to me, and one or two to others, I will read them to you in the order in which they are written.
BROMSGROVE LICKEY, Dec. 4, 1849.
My Dear Sir:
I thought that when I wrote to you again I
should have a few subscribers for the Citizen. I
will tell you the reason why I have not got them;
they are most all primitive methodists. They have
been trying to scheme them a chapel for this last
twelve months. They are having tea parties and
missionary meetings every two or three weeks, so
they have put me off a little longer. I had a good
deal on my mind through reading the Citizen. I
opened my bible at the forty-first chapter of Isaiah
and at the sixth and seventh verses. There I read
the following words: 'They helped everyone his
neighbor, and every one said to his brother, be of
good courage; so the carpenter encouraged the
goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer
him that smote the anvil, saying, it is ready for the
sodering, and he fastened it with nails.' I thought
about Mr. Burritt's sparks. He has got a few in
England and France and America. I thought about
the Russians, if they would but examine this chapter
as well as I have, I think they would make away
with their arms, for the Lord says, them that war
against thee, they shall be as nothing and as a thing
of nought. How dare they go to war against their
Maker. I dare not. I have another word or two to
say to my young friends in America. The boys
and girls in England, they are forced to work very
hard all the week till about middle day on the Saturday,
and then they get a little time to play while
their parents go and sell their work. They frequently
come for me but I am very often forced to
deny them. I tell them that I have some reading
and writing to do. Reading and writing must be
seen to. If that apostle Paul had neglected his
reading and writing, that jailor would have never,
perhaps, seen need to have cried out, 'what must I
do to be saved,' or if Mr. Burritt had neglected his
reading and writing very likely I should never have
been able to read or write. Though you are in
America and I am in England if we put our heads
to work we dont know what we may do some day.
It does me good to read that there are so many ladies
engaged in the work. I have been asked several
times what was the price of the Citizen, but I have
not found that out yet. I dont know how you count
your money. I dont know how much a cent is.
The first three newspapers that I had, I paid five
pence each for; but now I get them for twopence
each. I keep at my old employment. I did not know
that there was any other country besides England
till I had the Citizen. While I am hammering away
with my two hammers my mind is flying all over
America and Africa and South Carolina and California
and Francisco and France and Ireland Scotland
and Wales, and then it comes back to Devonshire,
then to Mrs. Prideaux, and then to them ladies at
Bristol, and then to Mr. Fry at London, and what a
good man he is in the cause.
I remain your humble servant wish to be a fellow
laborer, heart and hand.
JOSIAH BANNER.
BROMSGROVE LICKEY, Dec. 28th, 1849.
MY DEAR SIR:
I have received your letter with two sovereigns
on Dec. 26. I dare say my young friends will look
for something very good from me, but nothing very
interesting for them at this time. I will tell you
the reason. The last week before Christmas I was
working late and early all the week, and at the
end of the week my foot and hand did ache very
much. In that week I received a letter of young
Mr. Fry, a little school boy, and a beautiful letter
it was. I have read it many a time to the boys and
girls and I had to write him one back again that
week, and a few days before I had to write one to
Mr. Coulton, Superintendent of the Sunday school
at Norwood. For this two or three last years, I have
made a practice in going a carol singing on Christmas
day in the morning and of course they looked
for me again. So I started out at five o'clock and
came home at nine, and then I went to school. I
have never missed going to school on a Sunday for
this last three years. I always like to be there to
teach or to be teached. Now I have got this present
in my hand, it leads me to the Scriptures; and at
the fifty eighth chapter of Isaiah and at the second
verse: "Now they seek me daily and delight to
know my ways as a nation that did righteousness and
forsook not the ordinances of their God." They ask
of me the ordinances of justice, they take delight in
approaching to God. Now if all nations would
act to one another as America does to me, I think
that better day would soon come. When I sat down
to write this letter I thought that I would tell my
young friends how thankful I was to receive their
Christmas present; but my pen is not able to express
nor my tongue is not able to confess it.
My young friends, when Mr. Burritt came to our
house first, we had no Bible, but now we have two.
My father could not read it but your kindness has
teached me to read it and now I have teached my
father to read it, and I am trying to teach my sisters
to read it.
I remain your humble servant, wish to be a fellow
laborer.
JOSIAH BANNER.
BROMSGROVE LICKEY, Jan. 18th, 1850.
My Dear Young Friends:—I will write you
a few more lines. I have got a very nice cloth coat
and trousers, and I have a suit from head to foot.
I have had three happy Christmases, but this is the
best I ever witnessed before. It is not because I
have had much play. I have been so busy in reading
letters and writing letters. I have received two a
week, for this last three weeks, of the friends of
peace. On the morrow after Christmas day I was
at work again. When my sisters have called me
to my breakfast or dinner, I have been forced to be
reading while I have eaten my food. One night I
was reading in the Citizen about my young friends.
I was reading about that little girl which went without
milk at supper time because I should have a
suit of clothes. My mother she dropped her head
and began to wipe her eyes, but I kept on reading
till I come to that little girl which came skipping
across the street with a good long list of names
which she had been collecting money of. I was
forced to put the paper down. I told her that you
sent that money to make me comfortable not to
make me miserable. My mother she made me
promise to pay you all again. I told her you did
not want money you only wanted me to be a good
boy and write about peace and Brotherhood, and as
soon as I can I shall send some money to pay for
some Olive Leaves and a good song to put in them.
There are some good boys in America as well as
girls. They have been very busy for me. I return
you all many sincere thanks for your kindness. I
am writing to you with pen and paper hoping sometime
I shall come and see you all face to face. I
shall not come with a sword in my hand nor a gun
nor a fine feather in my cap flying about. I shall
come with a nice book in my hand or a roll of paper
and tell you some good news. It did not take quite
all that money to buy my suit, so my sisters have
got a little shawl apiece. They have not quite worn
out their sixpenny bonnets.
JOSIAH BANNER.
Dear Children:—
I have read these letters to you just as Josiah wrote them. He is now about 12 years old, "working with two hammers, one with his foot, the other with his hand, striking off nails as fast as he can." But I should like to compare his writing with the writing of any little boys and girls of his age, that meet in our school-room. He has no nice desk to write on; his pens and ink are such as he can get. There were no pen and ink in his father's house three years ago; for no one could make letters there when you sent Josiah to school. You see his care for his little sisters. It did not take all the two gold sovereigns we sent him first to pay for his suit of clothes; it would have done, if he had determined to buy himself a nicer suit. But he remembered his sisters lovingly, and gave part of his money to buy each of them a shawl; and pretty nice shawls they were, we have not the slightest doubt, and took a considerable part of the money you sent him. He knew you were kind to him, but he did not think you would remember his sisters too, and send them something to make them warm and comfortable through the winter. They have received before this time the two sovereigns, or ten dollars, which you contributed for their New Year's present. How I wish that all of you who sent in your half dimes for them, could look in upon that nailer's family circle when they open the letter and see two bright gold sovereigns for the little ones. The baby will crow a little at that, and the mother, who dropped her head and wiped her eyes, as Josiah read to her out of the Citizen about that little girl in Newton, who went without milk so long that he might have a suit of clothes for Christmas, will drop her head again, but she will cry for joy, and there will be hopping up and down for the space of fifteen minutes, I reckon, and Josiah's black eyes will twinkle with the gladness in his heart; and the neighbor's children will know it all before the news is two hours old, and then you will have another letter from Josiah; and may be his oldest sister will try her hand at a few marks for you.
And now, before I dismiss the School, I want to ask each boy and girl on these benches, who gave a half dime for Josiah's education, if the brightest silver dollar ever coined would buy of either of them that half dime? Would you sell for a dollar your share in his education and happiness, in the joy, hope and expectations which your gifts have brought to life in that poor nailer's cottage? There are some beautiful verses in the Bible which I hope you will write in your copy-books, and remember all your days. "He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord, and he will repay." And have you not been paid fifty times over for what you gave Josiah? "It is more blessed to give than to receive," said One who gave the greatest gift that God could give to mail. Have you not found it so in regard to your gifts to Josiah? You see how happy you have made him; how blessed it has been to him to receive your presents. But how blessed and happy you must be to make him all this joy and gladness! Ask little Phebe Alcott there, if she has not got her pay ten times over for going without milk so many days that he might have some warm clothes for winter. Ask little Sarah Brown if she has not been repaid well for carrying around her subscription paper for him so many frosty mornings in Worcester. And now, good-night. It has been a long, long time since I met you in the School-room. Many new faces have been added to our circle. Some that I used to see here are gone. But still, the benches are full, and I hope no boy or girl will vacate their seat for the next year.