The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-06-24
.Fur tbr }Snps anh Girls.
THE RoyERs AND THE RANGERS.

There i que: little village, delightfully."-
situated on the anks of one OF the lroadcst
liver: which wa.-r New England, whose tran
,jIilitv Is one Of The greatest charms to those
,.!o love the corntrv J. the serenity which
Icrvatlr> the Landscape" were an index 20 the
character Of The iia@crS. We Should deem
them rs ,'ra"cl,.! AID Harmonious l> the birds
whose SONGS are >o':.;.tinrS the only inter
ruption to the sir, O; the hamlet, save the
-.Lleatinc Of! the .ir.l. with which the pastures
are whitcnel. At twilight, when the tolls OF
the day are over, and the farmers repair to
their comfortable dwellings, their sons assem-
yOlcDn the ''greel "-as the common near the
church is caled, and engage in merry pas
times, and for an hour or two the air rings
with laughter AID loud shou.nr which BOYS
enjoy so highly
1t is >atllenins to feel that there is no spot
on earth, however beautiful or iclio httul, that
sin has not entered, and that even this Sc
,,ue>tcrr'i retreat far from the scenes OF bus
mess and "aetv, ha, not escaped the influence
Of this deadly foe The w;rkednc-s which is
inherent in every human heart. las developed
its If here in various ways. and among all
classes: but the tale am about to relate is
.: those playful boys WHO Mi ght have had so
much innocent enjoyment in making each
o,EcT happy. had they not allowed spirit Of
rivalry to throw cloud over their BRIGHT
pleasures.
Those boys who lived north Of the church,
formed themselves ia'o party, and assumed
The nam" Of the i-'own Eovcr>:" and those
who r'>i!e'! in the south part, termed them
selves "Down-town Een.cv.:" and the jrin-
r'jic for which they cont ndc,! was physical
strength. Their ami iion was not to excel in
~tuhy, or Industry, or m,nlinc><. or goodness:
hnt to ,nrj,,>> each other in strength. or. as
.icv expressed =. ito ,"c who co,;!! wre>;ic
u. hardest" Competition in lo;,r or in
eng .o"sl would have been noble aHd praise
worthy. but TIE contest in which these boys
~crc en- aged. was not Only foolish and mean.
b.' exceedingly sinful. as it cx itctl the worst
passions Of The hcar:. ard ,>irc 70 iutlict
The greatest .ror OF lcr>onalinu on their
+ilos, without cndarcr!;n. life. which their
iiUsruar power permitted. The contcn,ion a,
l"r.tl amounted! to var in miniature. bu.
til" evils resulting iycn. it wcrc hy no means
SIN H.
Hem. lIanro-k Wa m a.ua'i,. irir; he,
G: fourteen. who had never engaged in wr,>,-
ling a, a po'i:an. merely r,in. lis strength
in a troic with his own chosen friends buta>
be lived down town." he was considered one
oi the Ringers AID when his .,,hcr babe
lin 70 up town on an crrand. in the interval
lrtwccn the school hours he was extremely
reluctant to go. and hcr-cd 70 lie excused:
Un'll he could induce some larccr bows to az
company him. II wa. however. very import
ant that the message with which he was
charged should he delivered at once. and his
iatAcr. never suSpcc,n. danger, insisted on
obedience to his command. Henry with a
fearful heart bent bis way northwarl. and As
ne approached TIE house to Which he was sent.
ic hrar! the cry. ~ H,n.cr.. Ranger =
Ic;'s Get him lown." In an instant ionr
large BOYS rushed towards Him: each took one
ot his ''nS. and after swinging him violently
until they were wcarv. threw him as far As
'hcy ron!l from II" >l~. where they stood.
and then ran away, without even asking if
he was injured by their cruel treatment
lirnrv'S cries soon brought assistance. for he
WAS entirely unable TO move. apparently par
alyzed by tie f.ll and he was carried home
faint from pain AMI loss of b,oml.
physician was soon on the ground who
Oh examination, found that file which wa.
IN licnrys pocket had entered his side so IA.
;hat the wound mist be fatal The file wa.
recognized as one wlirh hc hal taken from ;
box OF tools. m dtrc; rio'"'jon oihi> f,'Aer.
orie'<.' II is impossible to describe The seen,
II the much-loyrdi omc Of Henry. which WI
~ bright and cheerful only one Iaf-!,our BE-
i"r". I'll. heart Of lis father was hlc~!in :,
that he had COM" He'd his boy 70 cnconn.,
such dangers. Tie mother was aconizc.
NJ. 'i!c ;ro>i'"r: Of u>in- her SON her IL ri
no Henry. and at d,,c'tinr lin. at sue
moment, in an act Of direct di>o5cdiencc t
parental authority. She in her Tenderness
prcavc him. and his father forravc him: l,,
'won!l her heavenly Father forgive her DIV
my boy The brothers and sisters wcr
-ohhiny aloud. and Henry though at that tim
ina''lc 10 speak, was weeping with them. an
looking unilttrrablc things That was inrc
"A house OF mournin": and sorrowinc heart
w"r" a!mo>; bu:>tn. with their wci-ht q
.,rI"t Intelligence OF the sal event flew fro,
;.ou>c to house. and dark cloml of yoo,
covered the whole village The four DO,
wh" had caused this hen t-rrndine AGONY wcr
acted in contri;ion and hastcucl torr,h,
~ the ted side OF the sufferer. 10 rxpr,s.
in their deep sorrow, and obtain his fo
.vcnc>.
Henry lived rcarlv twcntv-sour hours.
li>trc>>nr pain. retaining his reason TO II
It. ~ soon as he was abe TO speak. |
'mt!"lr! most earnestly the pardon Of e.
''2 a. his >;n$ and cn'rca;cl his friends
lay that his heart ni2l.t he washed in II
.'''iour> blood. H.. hc..r,l his parents
:,r.ivr him for all his ,!;>ohr,!icnco 10 the,
rHi particularly .'.,p~ taking the file" ~