Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-04
EVENING STAR.
THE sLIGHTED SCHOLAR.

Hlucn TOO frequent III our country, and th ey
are such, too, rs should be guarded again st
by all who have an interest in education The
| incident was brought TO mind by hearing a
complaint made by the parent of the poor
| boy, who had been grossly neglected by the
teacher Of the village school-neglected sim
| ply because he was poor and comparatively
| frendless.
Many years ago, when l was a small boy,
L attended school in the town Of
Among the boys there was a boy named
George Henry. His father was poor, drink
ling man, and the unfortunate boy had 10
suffer In consequence. George came to school
habited In ragged garments--but they were
| the best he had he was rough and uncouth
in his manners, for he had been brought up
in that manner; he was very ignorant, for
he had never had the opportunity Of an ed
ucation.
Season after season poor George Henry oc-
cupied the same seat in the school room-it
was back corner seat, away from the
other schOlars-and there he thumbled his
| primer. The ragged condition of his garb
| gave hOmely cast to his whole appearance
and what of intelligence there might have
| been in his cOuntenance was beclouded by the
| outer covering of the boy. He seldom played
with the other children, for they seemed to
shun him, but when he did, for while, Join
with them in their sports, he was so rough that
| he was soon showed out of the way.
The teacher passed the poor boy coldly in
the street, while other boys, in better garbs,
were kindly noticed. In the school Young
Henry was cOldly treated. The teacher neg
| 1ected him, and then called him an " idle
blockhead" because he did not learn. The
boy received no incentive to study, and conse
| quently he was most Of the time idle, and
idleness begat disposition to while away the
| time in mischief. For this he was whipped,
and the more he was whipped the more idle
and careless he became. He knew that he
was neglected by the teacher simply because
he was poor and ragged, and with a sullen
indifference, sharpened at times by feelings Of
bitterness, he plodded on his dark, thankless
way.
Thus matters went for several years. Most
Of the scholars who were of George Henrys
age had passed on to the higher branches of
study, while the poor fellow spelled out words
Of one and two syllabies, and still kept his
distant seat in the corner. His father had
sunk lower in the pit of inebriation, and the
unfortunate boy was more wretched than
ever
The look of clownish indifference which had
| marked his countenance was now giving way
to shade of unhappy thought and feeling,
and it was evident that the great turn point
of his life was at hand. He stood now upon
the step In life from which the fate of years
must take its cast.
AT this time man by the name of Kelly
took charge of the school. He was an old
teacher, q careful observer of human nature,
and really good man. Long years of guar
dianship over wild youths had given him a
blut, authoritative way, and in his discipline
he was strict and unwavering.
The first day he passed in the teachers desk
of our school was mostly devoted to watching
the movements of the scholars, and studying
the dispositions with which he had to deal
Upon George Henry his eye rested with a
keen, searching lance. But he evidently
made little of hir4 during the first day, but on
the second day he did more.
1t was during the afternoon of the second
day that Mr. Kelley observed young Henry
engaged in impaling flies upon the point of
large pin. He went TO the boys seat, and
repremanded him for his idleness; he took up
the dirty, tattered primer from his desk.
"HaveyOu never learned more than in this
book ?' asked the teacher.
"No, sir, drawled George
" How long have you attended school?"
81 don't know, sir. It's ever since can
remember
Then you must be an idle, reckless boy"
said the teacher, with much severity "DO
you realize how many years you have thrown
away? Do you know how much you have
lost! What sort of a man do you think of
making in this way! One of these days you
will be too old to 60 to school, and then, while
y
employment, you will be good for nothing.
Have you any parents"
Yes, sir, answered the boy, in hoarSe.
subdued voice.
"And do they wish you to grow up an ignO.
rant, worthless man 20
The boy hung down his head and was silent
but Mr.. Kelley saw two great tears roll down
his cheeks. In an instant the tescher saw
that he had something besides an idle, stub
born mind to deal with in the ragged scholar
before him. He laid his hand upon the boys
head, and in kind tone, said
{" wish you to stop after school is dismissed.
Do not be afraid, for | wish to assist you if
can"
George looked up wonderingly into the mas
ter's face, for there was something in the tones
of the voice which fell upon his ear that
sounded strangely to him, and he thought too
as he looked around, that the rest Of the
scholars regarded him with kinder counte-
nances than usual. A dim thought broke upon
mind that, from some cause, he was going TO
be happier than before.
After the school was dismissed, George
Henry remained in his seat till the teacher
called him to the desk.
"Now," said Mr.. Kelley, l wish to know
how it is that you have never learned any
more You look bright, and you look as
though you might make smart man. Why
is it that find you so ignorant.
" Because nobody never helps me, sir, re-
piled the boy. Nobody cares for me, for l |
am poor"
BY degrees the kindhearted teacher got |
the poor boys whole history, and while gen.
erous tears bedewed his eyes, he said
You have been wrongly treated, George
very wrongly, but there is yet time for re-
demption. If will try to teach you, will |
you try to learn"
"Yes-o, yes" quickly uttered the boy in |
earnest tones. eyes, 1 should love to learn. |
/ don't want to be a bad boy" he thrillingly |
added, while his countenance glowed with un-
v .nted animation
Mr.. Kelley promised to purchase books for
the boy as fast as he could read them, and |
when George Henry left the school room, his
face was wet with tears. We scholars, who
had remained in the entry, saw him come out
and our hearts were warmed towards hlm.
We spoke kindly to him, and walked with
him TO his house. but his own heart was too
fin III for utterance