Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-09-11
ttlisfcllonn.
Written for the Green Mountain Freeman
Herman Warren;
OR TIE REWARD OF PERSEVERANCE.
BY c. II. TANNING

one Of the back towns Of the - State a small
svery stream flowed past it upon the banks of
which fair young children of all ages, from four
to thirteen years, nigh daily be seen skipping
back and forth during the long summers day,
culling the sweet flowers which grew thereon,
and constructing many rude seat meath the
low branches of the evergreen trees which bid
defiance to the piercing rays OF tho sun A
bright lawn extended from the school-house to
the stream upon which many generations OF
children and youth had engaged in their various
pastimes and amusemens
Our story opens in the forenoon of pleasant
summers day. when, at recess, score OF boys,
from the ages Of eight to twelve, might be seen
seated in group upon the lawn in front oil the
school house. 1t was evident that something
unusual had occurred that morning for 1t was
the usual custom of the boys, as soon as they
were let out Of school, to engage immediately
in game Of ball or their favorite game of tag.
But now they were conversing together wholly
unmindful Of any such thing as ball or u
game at tag, and by their eagerness and excited
gestures one might readily suppose that the sub
ect Of their conversation was one Of great i'm
portance to them Let US draw near and asscr-
tain, if possible the cause of their unusual ex-
element.
Won't it he glorious time, John" SAID
Henry Alard, one of the oldest and best dressed
boys in the company, won't it be a glorious
time, and won our teacher feel proud if her
school spells down Miss Irwin's ="
Yes, ndeod,' said Philip Gray, " but III
tell you what it is, we have got to study with
all our might if we want to spell that schoo
down, for there is Asa Crawford, you know
who spelled down the school in the Taylor Dis
trict last summer, and the teacher there sait
that he was the best spoer she had seen or {
long time " And there is Emma Davis, too,
chmad in William Jones, II bright-eyed littl
fellow of nine summers, " who came over to on
school this summer, and got up next to tn
head when our teacher told her she might tax
her place in our class WE'LL" said Set
Hardy, one of the older boys, " all we have go
to do is to study for it and perhaps we sha
beat them after all, but, Philip, who do yo
think will be most likely to spell down OF an
in our school, l" Q Oh, Henry Allard, to l.
sure He is called the best spcler in schoo
aad has the highest number of marks for bein
at the head, Of any in Our class
Here comes lIerm Warren" said little BE
Clifford the youngest boy of the number. .
guess he'll spell them all down. for u heal
Miss Fulton say the other day that she thoug'
il he could come to school all the time he wou
have as many marks as Henry Allard.'
There Bon, You have said enough Tor
present, guess sAid Henry. just as If
would allow myself 10 be spelled down by su
little ragamuiiin as he is besides, shall stu
all the spare time that have between now al
then; but think that he will get precious
tie time for anything as long rs he is under tt
old skin-fint master Of his" The object
these remarks was now rapidly approaching
boys, and "a stranger would have been struck
once by his appearance. He was about ele
years Of age, little above the medium helg
of boys of bis own age in general, rather 81
der which was ratncr owing to the hard III
he had seen than toe work Of nature. lie
q keen black eye, and as he came along W
his hat in bis hand, as noble forehead as
rraced youth of eleven might be seen peer
forth from beneath the curling locks of
;rht auburn hair His countcnance was s
/; he most renowned artist would dellSht
c,oy; but his appearance otherwise was
q lite 50 interesting. Every garment he
betrayed the poverty with which he was OBJ
to struggle His clothes were all patches
su.h manner that there was scarcely any
of The original cloth TO be seen, and his Ina
ra,l.,r what was left of what used to be a
looked AS if it had seen dozen summer
least In word he had the appearance OF
erty in its worst form. He had no parents
ing, and bis present master, MI Brent
taken him from the poor house when he he
seven years old, and had promised to send
to school some, and to do MS well by him
c,uld; but his promise somehow rather IA
aid in consequence, the boy had passed
few days beneath the roof Of the old SC
house. lie had, however, acquired some
knowledge of reading and spelling by occasl
ly stealing away when his master had go
town on business, to the cottage OF a
cooner. ABOUT half mile off This goo
man had taken an interest in the boy th
time he had evor seen him, which vas
when he had been sent by Mr.. Brent to
churn which he had ordered there. The ole
knew well tll, disposition of the master
whose charg, little Herman had been p
AMI he knew Tor, that if the boy ever lt
ANYTHING except to run on crranqs, anu
wise wait upopli masta-, he must le
f.om soma other s1lrcc than home II
the boy to call in again, and he would ma
a present, and in a few days he. came
ceiyed the gift of q spelling book IRON VI
old coopersand a promise thatii he woui
thoro as often as he could, he would lea
TO read and spell all that he could lie
ioy at this, knew no bounds. lie fairly
for 10y; and so well did he improve i
very few leisure moments, that at the
two years he could read much more fluent
his kind tutor, and his knowledge oil
was quite rs extensive
During the summer in which our story