The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1839-07-25

URSDAY, JULY %, 1889.
tilfthe ndghbors, disturbed, would shake
their heads obviously, and tell each other il
was ssthat Mrs. Gosling licking poor little
jim" Sacs was the lad sent by the over
wearied motherto Mr.. Strap-not more, i'll
the truth must be told, to get rid Of heavy
trouble, than from curiosity to SEQ what Jim
would do in = school where they "never
whipped"
On arriving at school Jim was let loose
among the re,t of the boys to play. He got
into game Of marbles, but his antagonists
soon perceived that he cheated and turned
him out. Hethen took to the top, but the
ssfellowsn found that he had brought into the
arena a great, long pegged thing, that cut
their little handsome tops to pieces. No
reader that has ever been boy, need be
told that this play consists in ones top being
spun in the circle, while the rest are spun
down at it-sometimes splitting the mark
quite in two. Jim's top, with his accurate
aim, split two or three, and the boys pro-
tested against such unequal chances. One
ofthem said it was like the horse crying
ssevery one for himselfr' when he danced
among the chickens. By-and-by he was
taken into game of ball; but in FIVE min
utes, round stone, instead Of ball, was
flung with such violence at one of the small
boys, as to knock him down and infict upon
him severe confusion. Jim protested it
was mistake. Mr.. Strap reasoned with
him. He begged pardon and was forgiven.
The next morning the rope Of sthe swing
broke while a person who was swinging
fell, to the imminent danger of his life. 1t
was found that it had been cut two-thirds
through. In the afternoon the pair globes
were scratched to pieces with nail or
knife; and when the usher went to ring the
bell for bed, that necessary instrument was
no longer to be found. A chain Of circum-
stantial evidence fixed these things on Jim
Gosling. Mr.. Strap took the boy in his
private room.
sJames.n
"Sir."
"Did you scratch the globess''
ssNo sir"
"Do you give me your word and honor?''
ayes sir.''
edo you know what an oath is?''
eyes sir.n
"should you be willing to swearf"
eyes sir.n
Mr.. Strap then saidy
sMy son, to be candid, do not believe
you. know you to be the author Of these
delinquencies."
+ James looked up into the mild face Of his
instructor with astonlshment.
"If you will confess the truth / will for
give you. Are you not guilty?"
ayes sir.n
81 thought so. Now you have imagined
yourself here, doubtless, among enemies
| wish to show you that you are not so.--
We are all your friends. If you do wrong
you do so against those who love you. L
that right?''
"No SIR"
"Well, then, am willing to believe tina
you have done these things from bad habit
from want of refection-from Ignorance
of the character of the instructors. par
don you. Go down among your compan
ions. Be better boy for the future.
shall never have cause to complain of yo'
again, shall II"
ssNo sir.''
sGo, then, my dear child. Remembe
that the way to be happy is to be virtuous.
eyes sir.''
aThat if YOU intend to be respected i
society, you must begin as a boy the honor
able conduct which you mean to practic
as man. could have punished you 70
1.-THE faults you have committed had l g
pleased. wish you for my friend. Her
is piece Of plumcake for you. Go ou
my dear boy. Do not forget that you hav
done wrong and that you have been forgis
en-. Do you hear met"
| eyes; sir" said Jim, with his mout
crammed full Of cake.
i $50, then, remember love you and trui
to your generosity that you will not here
after infringe any Of the rules. Good mo-
ming, my dear son"
i aGood morning, SIR said Jim, putin
Into his mouth the last bit of his cake.
i Two days after this occurrence one {
! the ushers found pin very ingeniousl
placed in his chair, to the great derange
lment of his own ideas and the undisgnisabl
merriment of the whole school when the di:
] coyery was proclaimed. The next day tn
cat was killed, creature which had bee
much beloved and was universally lamen
, ed, and in the evening one Of the little boy
was frightened actually into fits by gho
J fourteen feet high, with the head Of pump
kin and eyes as large as tea-cups.
i The culprit was detected in James Go
} Hing, and he was confined to bread and ",