My Boyhood and Youth 



talk that way. Cheer up! You will soon be 

 stronger. We all love you. Cheer up! Cheer 

 up ! And always come here whenever you need 

 anything." 



"Oh, no!" he pathetically replied, "I know 

 you love me, but I can't cheer up any more. 

 My heart's gone, and I want to die." 



Next day, when Mr. Anderson, a carpenter 

 whose house was on the west shore of our lake, 

 was going to a spring he saw a man wade out 

 through the rushes and lily-pads and throw 

 himself forward into deep water. This was 

 poor Charlie. Fortunately, Mr. Anderson had 

 a skiff close by, and as the distance was not 

 great he reached the broken-hearted imbecile 

 in time to save his life, and after trying to cheer 

 him took him home to his brother. But even 

 this terrible proof of despair failed to soften the 

 latter. He seemed to regard the attempt at 

 suicide simply as a crime calculated to bring 

 the reproach of the neighbors upon him. One 

 morning, after receiving another beating, 

 Charlie was set to work chopping firewood in 

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