The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-07-21
5tltrttA Sturq.
The Blot of Ink.

wv ho has made This blot oi lux on
any noJr book 2 said 4. school IN ,st.r. a,
he L me IN - the school room, aud ayiiu
took his seat at the desk. which he hal
left "a lew minutes before, in order to
epc,S to the mother Of one OF the scho
iHl>.
\ deep >iirucu wns the only answer To
ihr> l''siion. Il ask, repeated Mr.. Der
rarI, 'w,.o has made this blot Of ink on
~, note book :
al he first summons, forty pairs of
eyes Were :, gel L" the face Of the mas
Ter, a - ! i@E'Y brought back To their
sate>; ~ the sscU'Iu AL heads remained
down, AM nothing WIS 10 he heard but
the sound of the pencls, which scratch
-d the states more than usual, AS tho hy
ures Of the different sums were being
written down.
WHEN master asks n question:, said
Mr.. Bernard, 1t is the duty Of the schol.
AIS TO answer HIM now there is one u.
mong YOU who il guilty, there is one who
left his seat aud came, most probably Y, to
look for the answer to his sum in this key
book 4; my pen, which had ink in il,
must have slipped from his hand, and
blotted the note book as it fell. now
call upon tie guilty one to stand up
There WAS still the same silence all
round.
The master sighed. for he loved his LIT
tie scholars very much it grieved him
TO punish them; but he knew that these
young souls had Leeh entrusted To his
care by the Saviour, to teach them his
way, aud to guide them in the Ealh
which leads to life and whiie his heart
WAS grieved nj the thought that he must
at any cost find out the offender and pun.
ish hin, especially his his obslinacy threw
suspicion on his comp ,nions, the master.
faltht"L to Lis duty, resolved not to act
r.shly.
lie now slowly left his desk, and stan
ding in front Of the forms where his scno.
lars were seated. he said, i do not like
teil-uales It Is u proc! Of = very bad
spirit when boy discloses his school fol
loss lsuit, but it is necessary for the
good'-and lie land stress on the word,
for 'lis good of the offender, that
shoul,' know who he is. Now, do not
want 70 say Il Is such and such an one,
bat desire you al, beginning with the
FIRST DIVISION, to leave this room, aud to
GO int" the pass, Se, with the exception
OF the one among you who is guilty
They then began to file off. One. two,
three forms were soon empty the fourth
class. which was composed o: the young
est Toys, went more slowly the last
child but one had gone the one who 70
manned seemed just about TO rise, but, If
ter - slight movement he reseated him
self
Mr.. Bernard slut the door Of the room,
and then came and sat down by the little
boy, and taking both his hands in his. lie
said, SO il was you, Paul. who went in
this decetful way to fnd out from my
book whether your sun WAS coreeti IL
WIS YOU who insuIled your master by re-
fusing TO answer him !; for, as you are the
guilty one, il was to you that | spoke
You are not right 10 look roo in the face;
but tell me how you will look at your
dear mother, when she calls you this even.
ing to say your prayer to God before you
90 70 bed What will you say to the
Lord. whom you have off-Lded . Two
tears rolled down poor liitle Paul's cheeks.
my child continued the mss,er, your