JOHN JAMES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 160, 12 August 1914, Page 3

JOHN JAMES.

At the age of nine John James was already a useful contributor to the family exchequer; for as the eldest of a family of six children «nd the son of a father - who seldom • worked for more than four weeks in succession owing to " bouts," John James never questioned the incidence of his responsibilities. At. the age of ei'ght lie "usually commenced his:day by/lighting the fire before six i®- the morning-and. helping to prepare which he had in company, with his mother. Then he went to the houses for the daywash, which his mother got through at liome. Afterwards, there Were the younger children to wash: and dress and take to school when breakfast, was served.. In the evening .thefe>were ' the clothes to manglefor rettirn to their, destinations, the baby-to nurse, and the children to bg put^to bed .No one who observed the patient hopelessness pf the boy. would hiifvc (Edited him with any attributes, but his mother and all the women neighbours would assure you that-John James had "a.way '' with children unparalleled in a child of his years. His unfailing willingness quickly wbn him great favour as the general errand-goer of the district, and' he became the recognised shopper of several families, a uniform charge of threepence weekly being levied for his services. - COLLECTING DAY.

Saturday was collecting (lay, and John James seldom "failed to take less than 1/3, which was handed over to his j mother before she set out for-.the night's marketing. With two excep-! tions he took little interest in his lesions, and at playtime he usually potter- i ed about listlessly, watching.the others at their - games. Football and cricket had no attraction for him, and though he onre ventured to the swimming baths, being the proud possessor of the ■rsenny required for the hire of costume CTi l io.vel, he never repeated the experiment. In mental arithmetic he far Outstripped his fellows, and could work "all manner of shopping problems with :surprising speed and accuracy. During proud moment, inspired by a word of praise from his teacher, he volunteered the information that once lie had gone -errands for five different jieople at one time, '' and I got all the change right.'' He was a good reader, too, especially •of fairy tales; and he would linger in the schoolroom with his book frequently in the hope that his teacher would allow him to remain during playtime. The stories he read were afterwards retailed to his younger brothers and sisters, «fte« with considerable additions ami omissions. He had reached thehige of ten when his mother informed the principal teacher that there was consumption in the family. .."Not, o' my side — on hese,'she explained in considerable detail. When John .James luid-suffered from complaint of infancy it appeared that the doctor had istronolv . .advised plenty of. fresh.air for the boy. " I was if only he could get a little job iii -the 6pen air," she concluded. .Singularly enough, two days afterwards John James had the chance of a position, as milkbov at 2/l\ per week; "could he be excused if lie came a few minutes late every morning?"

A pair of wistful brown eyes awaited w the decision very anxiously.'- No —he must be punctual. But John James began the open-air cure nevertheless, and in nil weathers out milk from soon after 6 a.m. until 0 o'clock, then to 9.1.5, 9.;>0, and 9.50; breakfast being taken before lie left home. AT SCHOOL. Often he came to school with rainsoaked clothes and utterly fatigued, " but in view of his home disabilities the School Attendance Committee allowed John .James to retain his place on condition that, he readied school not later than 9.15 a.m., and thereafter the bogey of the boy's life was the fear of exceeding this time limit. Exceeded it was, nine times out of ten, and surely there was no more wretched boy in the world than John James ns he tearfully .recited the causes of delay. Sometimes the fanner was late astir and milking was delayed; frequently the milkman himself suffered from a similar lapse; on snowy and frosty mornings the horse could not get along; then some people had to be knocked up *for their jugs; others would not answer the , -knocker, and some even wasted time, talking to the milkman, the milkboy in fear and trembling the while. But he served his master faithfully and well; and until the eve of his twelfth birthday John James, by working on the average eight liouts daily, including Sundays, was able to earn 4/- every week in his dual capacity of errandgoer and milkboy. Consequently, wheu Jie applied for his half-time exemption

certificate John -James was able to nominate bis younger brother jßobcrt ] Edward for the milkboy's post; while,' fortified by the fresh-air course, he i nought more remunerative employment! in the cotton mill. At the same time j he received the "offer of a regular post} as errand-boy at .half a crown weekly j during his spare hours, and by transferring his private errand-going connection to Robert Edward, John James embarked upon the career of a highwageearner—7/6 weekly—to "the great delight of his father and mother. '' Gullad, John James," eongratu-' lated' his- fatheTj "whose " bouts' ■ thereafter became .more prolonged and frequent than ever. > ''lt's providential," said his mother; j '' I 'll see that tha has a little pleasure i' j thi life now. " So on the Wednesday j

I ilf-holiday John James was alk» .yed to throw off his ■domestic cares to visit the pictures, and in course of time lie managed to join his chums • twice weekly when there .were 'special' attractions. Nor did he disdain the joys of a -'septet cigarette when: occasion, pre-. seWted itself. .. V PEWMONIA' ' FOR JOHN JAMES. - But the strain of work .and school and an irregular diet quickly made inroads' i«ttf the boys reserve strength. Sixteen hours of strenuous toil daily, with Sunday as the only break fpr.-rest, proved too much for John James. At the end of six months hig longed for the day when he could go to the mill as a full-timer, for then he could give up the errand-going and earn his 10/every week. Within two more months he was compelled to reli-nquish his duties as errand-boy, though he was ; again able to pass the office on ioi ; Robert Edward, who in turn trans ferred his duties to-Sarah Ann, who was now old enough to enter into the family struggle. Then, just as he was at the point of going full time, John James broke down. "Pewmenia, the doctor calls it," confided his yi other to Mrs Tart, who lived next door. "Sez he won't go to work for months—rif he ever goes at all — an' he'll never have to go to the factory agen. It's cruel! Now I'll have two of 'em on mv hands, his father an' John James," she concluded, in a fit of weeping. "It is cruel,'' agreed Mrs Tart, "but. i'>en you've got Robert Edward an' Sarah Ann." "Yes, there are the others," said the mother, drying her eyes; "there are the others, thank God."—H.L., in the "Manchester Guardian."