The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1859-08-02
From The Wy. Obselver,
A More Excellent Wny.

| think We are going 10 do in schoCl 7"
"Study, hope" said lis mother quiet.
ly, while the little boy stopped to take
| breath.
awe shall have 10, that's a fact" said
Char'ey, "but that is not wha. | wan ted
| TO tell You mother. You know there arc
just six weeks before examination. and they
are going TO give certificates then only 10
the very bes, scholars, who havc sustained
themselves perfectly through the term"
'And you mean, Of course, to rank
among the very best, il YOU CAM" sail Mrs.
| Moris.
"Of course do, mother, lut there is
one thing more. Tho boy who has been
at the head Of his classes for the longest
time is to have, besides his diploma, gol.
den star to wear upon his breast He will
be called the star scholar, and will rank
highest in the school"
80 YOU are aiming at this bright par.
ticular star
"Ycs, mother, and will have it to, YOU
will see! Dr. II. says it is a more homer.
able distinction than the Legion Of Honor.
Won't You be proud, mother, to see me
wearing it at tho evening exhibition -
The teach rs will tell you that your boy is
tho best scholar in school" Mrs. Morris
smiled. "Won't yon be glad mothcrT'-
repeated Charley, eagerly.
"Glal ! shall certainly be Of lho schol
arship thai has won the honor, if it is fair.
~ earned replied tho mother. but
what are your grounds Of cXpcclaiion'
why mother, am at the head Of all
my classes but one, and in that there is no
one above me but Henry Cotton. don't
suppose there would bo any hope of going
beyond him, if he was always there bat
he is sometimes absent at the hour we re-
cite, and SO he wont have as good chance
Of keeping Lis place in the class
"What is the cadse Of hi, ahscnce:'
Gle Las 10 do onanls for his mother
She takes in sewing, and they are too poor
to have any servant, 50 Henry carries the
bundles home.
"Mr> Cclton has mado great tlrll, to
keep her boy at school, lie is n good
scholar is he not =
"Yos mother; don't know a be-! that
5lulIc, harder thHn Henry Cotton"
Not even Charley Morris
"No mother, but then am not obliged
10 study SO much because | have been to
schoo! more regularly than be has, and
then have more time to myself at home.
Why Henry is mp and studying before any
one else i, stirring in the morning, and al
ways sleeps with his book under his pillow
nights"
"Than il he fails 10 obtain tho highest
rank in The school, it will not be for want
Of dill @oucc, Or eyon "f scholarship, but
from The mrle accident OF his outward cir
cuns'ancc~. Bat !c will doubtless make
n create, oifo,t to he punc'ud these six
weeks to come
al, will, if he knows Of thc p,ao,'
sail Chrrlcy moadily.
"lIo leans his lessons at home, docs h'
not, So a, g. keep up with lhc class, tholgh
he should be absent but a single day"
"N,s, mother, bat To day We hal a
specid explanation Of somctI ing in arith
mc,c, that know he cannot work ont hy
himself
as NY boy Jnire conscious Of thc ~pui.
he is in6ul.iug = asked the muthcr gently.
"Does he really wish to gain this rri1e for
himself Mt the expense of one who deserves
it full as much, aud deserves it perhaps
even m mrc:' ~
"rhen yau don't want mo to get the
star atcr all, mother said Charley, after
! a moments silence.
You will not doubt your mothers inter
est in Your improvement, even ii she shD'd
b. less solicitous about this particular hon.
or" Mr.. Morris replied "You know all
the ambition have in the world. is con.
tered in my ch Jren. woald see them
active, cuo'gctic, foremost II possible, in
the pursuit OF every honorable attainment,
/ And vet there is "a moro excellent way"
which | would have them t1low; an at
tainmeut higher, even than mental wealth
without Which, though possessing all
/ knowledge they are nothing
Charlcy'a glowing ambition had some.
what cooled, duing his mothers calm, but
! earnest conversation. He WAS lj-tung at
tcntiy,ly or he 81, in his fayoIita pace at
her feet, though lis eyes wara Gowuc1st,
ana sense OF shame stole over Am
~ Gu remember the passage IN winch
+ tllIN way Is ttstl'D'u. HNh'V MS h'DIi'i.
Ch1rlcy took down the l,ile welI-woru
Bible in which lie always loved to read
aloud to lis mother. Tuning to the 18th
Coriulhiaus, lie slowly read the iirst SIS
verses.
"Do y,u thiuk, mother, be asked, 'that
this forbls seeking any honor for one
self! 1t says 'sceketh not hor cwn.''
alt is 10 necessary for Us 10 settle til.
hearing Of this on the question of lrzes al
school. But one question comes nearer
to thc case in Land. Do you think III
strict honesty the star wouI |. lc Your own
if yoa gained i, not by superior scholar
slip. but hy yonr more prosperous circum
stances, and Ilcnry's hiuderancc through
his mothers ncceS,itics' The only value
Of the sign is in the thing signilicd. II
me this badge would mean, not that my
boy was better scholar than Henry, bu
only that his father was Kicker than Hen
rvs mother.
Mother, don't want the star at all,
said Charley with rcsolute effort, "lha
is, if Henry can get it. | will 90 aroundnov
if you are wiling TO show him about tht
arithmetic, anl to ak his mother to ar