Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-12-27

seph Merrill, as he returned to his seat
and, l am not ashamed to say it-tber,
were tears In our eyes-the little blue
eyed girls and mine. and almost ever,
one IN the school room We we're all
melted for the first time in our lives :
moral sunbeam had crossed the threshold
OF our school room, and its gentle warmth
was rapidly thawing away the stubborn
ice work around our hearts. Joseph was
completely subdued; and from that dav
it was seldom necessary to remind hin,
OF his duty. A new life was spread out
before him, and he was determined to at
tain it.
That winter passed rapidly and pleas
antly away, and it was with very sad
hearts we bade our teacher "good buy''
on the last day of the term. H re-
turned to his native town to finish his
studies, and was very soon after admitted
to the bar. Success seemed to follow all
| his undertakings, and he has ever been a
bright example of moral integrity; an
oasis In the vast desert of Lawyerdom.
Soon after our winter school closed. Joe
Merrill LETT Grassyvale and went to a
nelghboriDg State to live with an uncle,
and learn the blacksmith's trade, and we
heard but little of him after that for many
years. He was missed very much by
his schoolmates, yet, [ cannot say as there
was one that ever wished him back The
old people did not believe he would ever
make anything but wild scape grace ;
they thought his conduct at school the
preceding winter, was only ore of his sill
ly schemes to allay the suspicion of the
district in regard to some terrible piece
of mischief he was about to perform :;
and L really think they breathed easier
when they felt sure he was gone There
was but one person in the valley who took
him by the hand and babe him not forget
her when he was far away. and that was
his lonely old grand mother-his only
relative at Grassyvale-for Joe was an or
phan His grand mother loved him with
all the fondness of her desolate heart
to his praise be it said, he always treated
her with kindness, and often said he
would be willing to die for her sake. if
necessary. His love fer his grand mother
appeared to be the only redceming trait
in his character; he could not bear to
part with her, and so, soon after he went
away, his uncle came and removed the
old lady to his residence. and with her
went all anxious thoughts concerning
Joe
All the next summer the birds appear
ed to sing sweeter in the tree tops. and
the frogs to croak with more independ-
ence, in the pools by the wayside, than
they had done for many long years
Time passed on; change after change
took place in our quiet valley the old log
school house disappeared from its cool
retreat among the sycamores the blue.
eyed girl grew taller and more lovely.
aud | more fond Of making her my stud,
a new school house was built by the way
side, and a new dwelling house here in
the valley, beneath those tall naples, and
thitber | led that little maiden, one bright
summer morning. from the old parsonage.
followed by the benediction of her sire.
as he pronounced us "no more twain. but
one flesh" and we have been only one
ever since. But if | get to talking about
her, [ shall never tell you what became
of Joe, and l suppose you are anxious to
hear that.
Well, about fifteen years after he left !
US, there was a great Sabbath School
held in this vicinity, and eve
ry ybody about here attended it. Our old !
teacher H, was there and made few
appropriate remarks on the blessings
arising from a careful study of the |
Scriptures. His remarks, were well re-
ceived and duly appreciated, coming as |
they did from the lips of a judge. But |
the sermon preached on the occasion. |
how shall | give you 9 faint idea of |
what it was, or of the preachers look |
as he stood up before that vast assem-
blage, with his glossy, chestnut curls,
around his finely moulded |
head, and waving about his full, broad |
forehead; his dark eye lighted up with |
the enthusiasm that filled his soul, as in
a clear musical voice, he uufofded to our
minds the heavenly beauties of |
our great Law Book oh you ought |
to have heard it as [ did. to know what |
it was, and seen the speaker too. He |
took the little child, Just learning to
lisp "Our Father" beside his mothers
knee. and traced It's course through life |
with the Bible for its guide-on through !
evil and good report till at last he left /
him at the golden gates Of Paradise open |
ed to receive him into the Celestial city /
of the redeemed And then after pause /
that was awful from the braathless hush
upon the audience lie turned to trace {,
the course of the infdel, who would live
and die like his 'brother dog" with no
eternity in view, closing with tender |
and touching appeal to the youth present |
to make the Bible their rule and guide /
through life and to parents and teach
ers to throw all their influence into
this great moral balance.
o. my friends" said he ''where
should [ have been to-day, II 1t had not
been for the instructions OF faithful
teacher. in our common school, and the
precious Bible | might have been in
one gloomy sell of yonder prison, for l
was a wicked reckless boy-the terror of
the district in which | lived. | was the
plague of the school room, until our
friend Judge II, came and taught
our school one winter He taught me
the way of life; and to him through the
blessings of God, | am indebted for the