Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-04-14
BRATTLEBORO, W.: APR IL H. 1860.

If mothers willing, he may come tonight"
"You1l never repent this good deed, Deacon,
never, never. The boy must be good in such a
home as this; so neat, quiet and well arranged.
I'll answer for him."
"Whcre are those pants laid off last week,
wife, those grey ones. They were pretty good
yet--onlY thin about the seat, and out at the
knees. Y guess between you, you could get the
boy decent pair out of them"
80 yes, indeed, father, could cut them over
and turn the fronts to the back. Yes, indeed
I'll get at them as soon as do up the dinner
work"
Just at evening Willie anne for his jacket, and
words cannot express his Joy at learning he was
henceforth to live under the same roof with his
dozed teacher.
40, III be 50 good" he said. "Do tell me
what could do for you, Mrs. Gray" and with
out waiting for an answer, he ran out to the shed
and brought in the nights wood and split the
kindlings and drew the water and filled the
kettle, fed the pigs and brought in the eggs.
"Can you milk WillieP the Deacon generally
does, but he's late tonight, and will be tired
when he comes in"
80 yes, ma'am, guess cam" and he soon
brought the swimming pals into the dairy.
The snow-white biscuit, the quivering custard
pie, the mellow cider apple sauce, the golden
butter and the fragrant tea, were Just placed on
the neatly laid table when the Decons step was
heard.
"Waiting," said he, "wel sit down, must do
my chores first"
"They're all done," said Willie, respectfully
81 did them"
"Ah, you did them did you? Well, then
we'll have tea
Mrs. Gray had placed an extra plate by the
side of the school ma'am, and now motioned
Willie to sit there.
al can wait, always do," said he, hanging
back"
"Nobody waits at my table, when there's
room," said the Deacon. "Sit down, boy, and
remember that is your place hereafter"
1t seemed to Willie that he had suddenly
slept into another world, everybody SO kind
everything SO free
Sunday morning came.
Willie was up before sunrise, doing the necessa-
ry chores, and then Mrs. Gray hung up an old
! blanket in one corner of the wood shed, and
| gave him pail of warm water, some soap, a
sponge and towel, and told him to strip him
self to the skin, and wash himself thoroughly.
And then, just when the boy was holding his
dirty, ragged shirt in his hand, and hestating
to put it on, sweet voice said kindly, "you will
find your clothes just outside the blanket, Will
lie," and then light footsteps ran away.
He peeped out Sure enough, there was a
she had made evenings; the Deacon's pants, the
mended jeckct a pair of neatly darned socks
some Of the Deacon's that had shrunk, and q
pair of good, stout, shoes, the last q present
from the Deacon, who had told Miss Merton and
his wife, "he wouldn't do things by halves, he'd
test the boy thoroughly"
There were many happy little faces in the
church that Sabbath morning, but none bright
er or more cheerful than William Hendrickson's
and no boy behaved himself better in meeting
either than did he, reading out of the same
book Miss Merton did, kneeling by her side, and
reading the beautiful words of the hymns, a,
her sweet voice Joined the chorus of the choir
Weeks passed on. The summertime wal
f,~,,~ ~.-1 ,,;,h -, .ho d.>. asi,.-i --.~'~.-~.
81 may never see YOU again, Willie" she sale
tenGerly, as she held his hands at parting, "bu
| hope always to hear good report of you
The Deacon has promised to write to me oc
casionally, and shall expect to hear from yoI
in every letter. / shall never forget YOU.
shall remember you in my prayers, night ant
morning. Willie, you will not disappoint me.
Through his tears the boy sobbed out, mo
no. no ., if you could always be with me-"
~ leave YOU with Friend who never for
sakes, Willie God is with YOU"
She had gone and it seemed to the poor bo,
that the heavens had shut its door on him for
ever But he manfully struggled with himself
and though it was not near so easy to be gooc
under the new teacher that come, he icas good
remembering ever his promise.
would like to follow his career step by step
but my story is growing long, and | can onI,
tell you the results of his continued efforts afte
knowledge and goodness. He became so nea
and dear to Deacon Gray, that when he was six
/ teen he adopted him, his only little blue-eye'
son having been called to the "other side of tn
! | river" lie went first to the academy then 4
college, then to theological school, and thel
into the pulpit Yes; he whom the countr
people all said was bound to go to the peniten
tiary now breaches the gospel of Christ, oil
every Sabbath day. And the dear teacher, no,
an aged matron, with svery hair, listens to hin
and learns of him. The pupil has become tn
pastor; the worst boy in school is now one q
the nlost eloquent preachers. and what is bette
far, one of the best of men. Verify, 'as y
SOW, so shall We reap"
Boonsboro, Iowa.