Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-08-10

| ana nine tunes out OF Ten he WOulu JUN
out of the window before half the scholar
were out of the room but it was evldentl
for different purpose that he was to TT
main now, and no one wondered what
could be more than Tom Jones.
"Don't you think, Thomas, that ou
school room would be a great deal pleas
anter a we had some evergreens to han
around it; something to make it cheerful I?
inquired Miss Westcott.
"Yes'm, and I know where I can ge
plenty of them"
"Well, Thomas, if you will have SOM
here by eight O'Clock tomorrow morning
l will be here to help you to put them up
and we will give the children a pleasan
surprise and here are some books vii
give you, Thomas; you may put them il
your own drawer, they are what l wan
you to study.
"But 1 can't study geography and his,
tory," exclaimed Tom, confused, "l never
did,"
"That is the reason why you think you
cannot" replied Miss Westcott. 81 am
quite sure you can, and you will love them
| know.
"Nobody ever cared whether learned
anything or not BEFORE" said Tom, with
some emotion.
"Well, l care" said Miss Westcott, with
earnestness, ''you are capable OF becoming
grand and good man; you are now form
ing your character for life, and it depends
upon yourself what you become. The
poorest boy In this country has an equal
chance with the wealthiest, and his Cir
cumstances are more favorable for becom-
ing eminent, for he learns to depend upon
himself | will assist you all | can in
your studies, Thomas, and | know you will
succeed; remember that am your friend,
and come to me in every difficulty"
Tom Jones had not been brought up, he
had come up because he had been born in
to the world, and couldn't help it; but as
for any mental or moral training, he was
as frutless of it as wild bramble brush Of
a pruning knife. His father was an ntem-
perate, bad man, and his mother was a
totally inefficient woman. At home he re-
ceived nothing but blows, and abroad moth
ing but abuse. His bad passions were
therefore all excited and fostered and his
good ones were never called out. He al
ways expected that his teachers would hate
him, so he whetted anew his combative
powers to oppose them, and he had made
up his mind to turn the "new school MAJ
am" out of doors. When, therefore, Miss
Westcott declared that she was glad to
have him in her school, he was amazed
and that she should manifest such an inter-
est in him, and give him set of new books,
was perfectly incomprehensible to him
Miss Westcott understood his position and
character, and determined to modify them.
She felt that he was equally capable of
good and bad actions, though the bad now
predominated She knew that his active
mind must be busy; one might as well
think of chalning the lightning as bending
down by force that wild spirit to his books.
She would give him employment, but such
as would call out a new set of ideas and
! thoughts. He must feel that he was doing
good to others and for others sake, and
that he was not guided alone by his own
wayward will, and yet there must be no
| Appearance of restraint upon him, he must
choose to do good.
! Tom Jones went home that night with a
new feeling in his breast for the first time
in his life he felt that he was capable of
rising above his present condition, and be-
coming something greater and better than
! he then was. His mind became inunda-
ted with new and strange emotions, and
like mighty river turned from its course,
his thoughts and energies from that hour
sought new direction.
The next morning he was up with the
dawn, and when Miss Westcott arrived at
the school house she found Tom Jones there
with his evergreens.
"Good morning, Thomas," she said
kindly, sand SO you are here before me /;
you must have risen early, and have found
some beautiful evergreens; and now you
will hel p me hong them, we will have all
the room arranged by nine O'Clock"
81 have brought a hammer and some
nailS," said Tom. 81 thought We should
need some."
eyes, so we shall; I am glad you thought
of it," replied Miss Westcott.
That day every scholar looked amazed
to see Tom Jones actually studying his
book, and TO hear him answer several ques-
tons correctly, and they were still more
confounded, when at recess Miss Westcott
said
''Thomas, you will take care of these
little children, will you not, and see that
they do not get hurt -? You must be their
protector" One would have as soon
thought of setting a wolf to guard flock
of lambs, as Thomas Jones TO take care OF
the little children.
SWELL" exclaimed Sam Evans, 81 never
saw such school ma'am in all the days OF
my life; did you Tom? ?"
"No," replied Tom, ''but l wish I had,
and l would have been a different boy
from what l am now, but / am going. to
study now, and learn something. Miss
Westcott says can, and am determined
to try"
l was astonished to observe the effect
that Miss Westcott's treatment Of Tom had
upon the scholars; they began to consider
him ofsome importance, and to feel sort