Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-03-04
Miscellaneous.
WILL WINSLOW.

say to his mother, You will crush all the
manhood in him" And so he grew up the
terror of the neighbors The old, the in
firm, and the crippled, were the special OBJ
jects of his viscious merriment. One poor
woman, bent with age and infrmities, he
assailed with his ridicule, as she daily went
out on her crutch, to draw water from the
well near her house, and just within the
playground Of the school house "Only
look at her." he would say, Isn't she the
letter S now, with an extra crook in it ?"
and his cruel laugh, as he followed closely
behind, mocking and mimicking her, called
forth no rebuke from her One day, how
ever, she turned and looked at him re-
proachfully, she said, "Go home, child,
and read the story of Elisha and the two
bears out Of the wood"
Shame onyou, WILL said Charles Mans
field, to laugh at her mistortunes! [
heard my grandmother say, that she be-
came cripple by lifting her idiot son, and
tending him night and day
L don't care what made her So said
win, but | wouldn't stay in the world, if
| was such looking thing as that Do
look
Shame! shame on you said Charles,
and Shame. shame" echoed each of the
boys present. You may get your o,en
broken one of these days-who knows?'
To show their sympathy, several of them
sprang forward to aid the poor woman but
Charles Mansfield the oldest, and always an
example Of nobleness and generosity, was
the first, Let me get the water for you,
ma am, and he gently took the bucket from
her hand
Her voice was tremulous and fearful, as
she said, Thank you, my dear boy. God
grant that you may never suffer from such
infrmities'
IF l Should said Charles, kindly, it
would be the duty, and it ought to be the
pleasure Of young people to assist me. One
of US will bring you water every day, so
you need not come for it. Yes, 50 we
WILL was echoed from lip to lip.
God bless you God bless you all =
She wiped away her tears, and entered her
poor and lonely home.
Will Winslow was reported to the master,
and was sentenced to study during the
usual recess for the week to come The
punishment was hard, for he loved play
! better than his books but how slight, in
comparison with the retribution which
awaited him.
It was the second day of his confinement
that he sat near the open window, watch
ing the sports of the boys in the play
ground. Suddcnly-when the master was
absorbed in his occupations, he leaped in
the midst of them, with shout at his
achievement. Now let him punish me-
again, if he can, and he ran backwards
throwing up his arms, and shouting in de
fance, when his voice suddenly ceased
there was heavy plunge, and a horrible
groan broke on the ears of his bewildcred
companions.
Now it so happened, that the well o
which we have before spoken, was under
going repairs and the workmen were ther
at distance collecting their materials
Carelessly the well was left uncovered, anC
at the very moment of his triumph, Viii
| Winslow was precipitated backward int
the opening. A cry of horror burst from
the assembled boys, who rushed to the spot
and Charles Mansfield, the bravest of then
all, was the first to seize the well rope, til
It around his waist and descend to the res
cue. The we'll was deep, fortunately, how
ever, the water at the time was nearly ex
hausted, but Will lay motionless at the bot
tom. Carefully he lifted him, and Will
one arm around his apparently lifeless body
and the other upon the rope, he gave TIL
signal and was slowly drawn to the top
The ivid face Of the wicked boy filed hi
companions with supernatural horror
and in perfect silence they bore him to tn
house of the poor woman, which was clos
at hand. She had witnessed the acciden
from the window, and with her crutch has
, tened to meet them And now Will Win
D slow was in the humble home, and upo
2 the lowly bed of her whom he had assaile
with cruelty and soorn and faithfully sh