Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1850-04-03
For The L:wisburg Chronicle.
JAMES BELL AND HIS UNCLE,

JAMES BELL AND HIS UNCLE
We fear our leaders may have almos
.oEgot,en certain idle, iruant by. namet
;ln,ps B>il, " hose deficiencies in his studie.
we're exposed hy good Uncle Grey TO The
sad modification Of his too confdlng par
eals. IL, however. any have borne in
mind The idle scholar, and his fathers de.
termination to turn Orer q ne,c tedf, we
vii! ask them TO look with Us al the results
of this determination.
Mr.. Bell was sensible man though,
Us We have seen in The case o! his son S
education, he sometimes acted injudiciousy.
But still we say he was sensible man,
iar, if you would prove 10 him that any
course he had been adopting was wrong,
he would eudeavor 10 alter II. instead Of
hndIy and obstins'eiy adherng TO it,.
merely because II was his 0un. Too
many folks adop, the latter plan. We
lake the liberty ot doubling their good
sfnse.
When james appeared at the breakfast,
table, Oh the morning after his Unc!e's
visit, his dowucast looks and silent demea-
nor plainly indicated that his mind was III
a. ease. No allusion, however. wss made
ty either his father, or his mother, 10 the
circumstances cf.he preceding day. All
went on as usual. except that when James
Vas collecting his books to start for school.
his father said:
"S:op moment, my boy. | am ready
10 go down to my Office. and We can walk
part OF the way together"
James changed color, and the prospec,
of a tete.u.te,e with his father did no, seen
very agreeable TO him. However. after
len minutes walk, they came to Mr.. Bells
Office, and with a nod and "a
Remember what we have been talking
about" uttered in kind and pleasant tone,
James was left TO pursue his way alone.
As he went down the street which led
- the school, reflections such ss these
passed through his mind
8" 1t certainly would be pleasant TO have
good standing in school. and to earn a
better character than | now have. don't
much care about pleasing Mr.. Smith. He
is so cross. am sure he would never be
satisfied if were 10 try ever SO hard.
But father would feel pleased; he said he
would. Let me see what were his ex.
ac, words! 'Only let me see, James.
that you really Try TO do your best, and
shall feel satisfied Oh, if that's all,
"ilIlry. though, father did not care
much whether studied or not. But if he
IS song 10 ask me questions himself, | will
soon show him that am not such Ounce,
alter all. as Uncle Grey thinks me. ]
can do as well as George Ashton, or any
Of the bes, in school. think can, and,
what is more, 1 wiH."
This was a determination which was
easier to form, than TO carry into execution.
Poor James met with many check. many
modification, before he succeeded in his
audable efforts. He did, however, try TO
do his best. And as the FIRST step in The
new path he meant TO pursue, he made
full confession 10 his father of oil the ar;i.
fees to which he had resorted in order to
impose on his teacher. He even brought
home ,ha, evening all his school books,
exactly as they were, and submitted them
ID his fathers inspection.
Mr.. Bell turned over the scrawled and
boted leaves Of the books with mingled
feelings Of grief. Of JOY, and Of self re.
proach. Grief as various instances of
dupliriiy me, his eye. Latin and Greek
sentences. intended TO serve as exercises
ofthe pupils skiIIin ready Translation. were
in'erlined with pencil translalions obtained
from some more industrious student. The
margins o! the cyphering books were Gov.
cred with minute figures. exhibiting the
working out Of the more difficult, sums, and
copied of from iae slate Of some too &C.
commoda,ing neighbor. In short, all the
tricks and devices, which idle scholars are
but loo ingenious in inven,ing, were laid
open before the eyes of the grieved and
as'0nished iather. Yet we said joy min
g'ed with his grief. He rejoiced in the
thought that his son was thus making q
Tree and iuII confession Of his past miscon-
auc', and 10 the hopes which. this course