Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-04-14
MISCELLANY.
THE WORST BOY IN SCHOOL.
BY MRS. CAROLINE A. soULE. =.


"Is that one of my scholars?'
Miss Merton, the new teacher, pointed to a
lad Just outside the garden fence. He was rag
ged and dirty; barefooted too, and wore an old
straw hat so much in pieces that his tangled
locks stuck up "every which way through the
holes. He was throwing stones at robins
nest that hung high up in cherry tree, and
screeching all the time in way that made one
invountarily clap his hands to his ears.
81 am sorry to say it is" replied Deacon Gray.
"Ine worst boy in school, too the one that will
make you the most trouble. Indeed, don't
believe you'll ever be able to do anything with
him. He's as strong as giant, little short tel-
low as he is. He hogged the teacher last win
ter, and left him for dead. He's the worst boy,
take him all in all, l ever saw"
"Has he parents"
"No; his mother died when he was baby,
and his father, hard working man, hadn't any
time to see to him, and the child. l expect, had
pretty hard time Of it, with one old maid and
another for housekeeper. When he was five
years old, his father died, and since that he has
been tossed from pillar to post. He's naturally
a bright boy, and if his mother had lived he
might have been somebody, for she was just
one of the most patient, loving women you ever
saw in all your life; u christian woman, If there
ever was one"
"Poor boy!" Miss Merton spoke tcnderly.-
"What pity somebody don't adopt him, take
him into their home and heart"
That's just what I've told father many a
time" says Mrs Gray, looking up from the
bread she was kneading. "I've always said if
some one would only take him i'll and do by
him as they would by their own born child, it
would be the salvation of him"
"Mother wanted should take him this spring,
when he was out of place, but | told her it
was too risky If hadn't any children might
perhaps but to have such a rough, tearing,
swearing, mischievous hoy here all the time with
my three little girls, learning all sorts Of bad
ness to that youngster there" and he pointed
to a two-year old boy who sat on the floor, play
ing with pussy; 81 couldn't risk it no way
Yet I'm sorry for him."
"Thats what everybody says" continued his
wife, "They are all sorry for him, but no one
is willing to try and reform him, and if it amt
done soon, it'll be too late for just as sure as
he goes on the way he is now, he'll be in the
penitentiary before he's twenty-one."
81 wish you had taken him in" Miss Mer-
ton spoke earnestly.
"You won't wish so a month hence" said the
Deacon, "just wait till you've seen him cut
up"
"But if do think so four weeks from now
will you take him. Say yesi please do" and
she laid her hand confdngly on his arm
"Well, yes; if after that time you think you
can do anything with him, why, III try him q
spell. But he's a hard case"
Miss Merton looked out of the window again
| The boy had climbed over the paling and was
| now starting up the tree. She went out quietly
into the front yard. There were not many
| flowers IN bloom yet, only few datiodils, O
bunch of few de tys, and box of violets.-
| She gathered few of the latter and sauntered
leisurely down the graveled walk, pausing nov
and then to look at the annuals just peeping
out of the moist ground. BY and by she reach
ed the cherry tree, on whose lowest bough the
boy yet stood, for he had not advanced foo
since she came out, having been closely eyeins
| her.
| "What are you trying to get, little boy?-