The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-05-30


shell-tinted flowers of the anemone, and anbth-
er where the pretty little spring beauties lay
| clustered.
Il am desirous of making very large and
beautiful collection, for ] wish to present it,
when finished, to an invalid friend of mime
! lady whose lameness prevents her from getting
out into the fields and forests to see the fow>
ers. Do you know, Willie, whether there is
any bloodroot grows about here? i don't
know but it is too late for its blossoms, but I
| hope not for want some very much, they are
SO beautiful; such snowy whiteness.'
Il know where there's plenty ma'am. Eve
helped to dig it many time. Old Granny
Wilmorth, where used to live, always want-
ed some to put in spirits every spring I'll
get you some to morrow. ~ S
tS.bo, Willie, and any other wild flowers you
may find. shall be SO glad of them, and in
return I'll teach you Botany, at Moons and be-
book like mine to place your specimens in
Wouldn't you like, to have herharium p
20 yes, ma'am, guess would and the
blue eyes were very bright. Early next morn
ing Willie was at the school house with six
beautiful specimens of bloodroot and several
other specimens of flowers which had peeped
out of the moss and underbrush of the forest.
And Miss Merton laid them in new herbari-
um, with William Henderson written on the
cover, and beautiful piece of poetry on the
first page She divided all the flowers and
gave him half, showing him how to analyze
them, and how to press them, and writing un-
der each in her own name, class and order,
the spot where it grew, its peculiar character
istics, its medicinal qualities, if it had them,
and also an appropriate quotation from some
poet, and the language which florists have
given it.
The week passed. Friday
night came, and Willie, instead of being the
worst, had been the best in school. He was
bright little fellow, and now that his mind and
heart were engaged, he babe fair to ouistrip
his mates. Miss Merton shared her dinner
with him every day, removing thus one cause
of the boys restlessness and disobedience, for
every one knows full stomach, not an over
loaded, but a comfortably full stomach, dHposes
one to be more genial and orderly than an
empty one can possibly do. Indeed we have
often thought that if the city missionaries
would carry good dinner first to the poor sin
ners, and afterwards tract, the chance Of con-
verting them would be much greater.
They walked home together, Friday evening,
the school ma am and the little ragged, bare
footed, and almost hatless pupil. She made
the way pleasantly to him, talking to him of
the beautiful world that they lived in, and
pointing out the various interesting things that
were all about them; the old gray mountains
in the distance, with the purple shadows of
evening dropping over them; the green fields
beside them; the dim forest with its cathedral
aisles, stretching far into the distance; the
blooming orchards, with their snowy promises;
the little brooklet with its singing waves; the
brown and golden birds filling the scented air
with their golden notes; and lastly, the scar
let west, with the amber currents of sunshine
playing over it in gorgeous tides. And when
she knew his heart was interested, and full of
unutterable feeling, she said quietly, "What
good God to place us in a world SO fair
Would you not like to know something more
about him, Willie? Would you not like to
study that holy book of His, which he has
given mankind, to show them the way to heav
emp 4p'1 ---l
20, yes ma'am,' and the boy spoke devoutly.
Il thought you would, and so 1 asked you.
am going to have class in the Sunday School,
and shall open it next Sunday. You will come,
Willie, and be one of my scholars
Td like to ma'am. Then he glanced at his
bare feet and his ragged clothes, and sighed,
as he added, sbut don't see how / cam
These are all the clothes 1 have to wear
Pve thought about that Willie, and if you
come to morrow to the Dsacon's and let me will
have your jacket awhile, Eli mend it up for
you, and here's quarter I'll give you to go to
the store and buy new hat. You can get a
good straw one for that, can't you"
90 yes Dear me how good you are to me.
I don't see what makes you so. Everybody
else frets and scolds at me, and says Pn go to
the penitentiary yet, I'm so bad .-.
Il love you, Willie, and that is why l treat
you as do. An orphan myself I can feel for
your lonely life. Heaven only knows what [
might have been, had not good friends cared
for me when my father and mother died and
left me alone in the world. Willie, I've great
hopes of you. You are capable of making
yourself good name in the world. You will
do it too, know you will. Don't you believe
it?'-and she looked hopefully into his eyes.
Il want to; o, if only could Pl try
I'll study hard every day, and I'll go to Sun
day School every Sunday. And if grow up
good I'll lay it all to you for no one else ever
cared for me. They even grudge me my vict-
uals.. o, but I've seen hard times and tears
trickled down his cheeks.
Don't think of them, Willie. Look for
ward. There is sunny future in store for
Good night RSa R9n a0dss 05gs' ths the aebss bsss
YOU got in your hands Miss Merton p said
Mrs Gray, the next morning, as the school
ma'am entered the kitchen. ae
why, it's Willie's jacket. I've promised to
mend it for him, so that he can go to Sunday
School tomorrow, and I've come to beg some
patches ..-s,.s.o
Mercy on me, you can never mend that
ragged thing
20, yes, I can. Where can find some
patches p aas
why, there's lots of them in the loft over
the woodshed. / store them up there for car
pet rags all through the winter, and in the
spring take them down and wash them up and
sort them over; bat dear me, you never can do
anything with that old thing
you'll see,' was the cheerful response, and
the school ma'am mounted up the ladder to
the loft, and selected some suitable patches
Sitting down by ihe window, she ripped UP
both sleeves above the elbow, cut off rags and
pieeed them down, sewed up the seams again,
and put in fresh lining, and made new cuffs.
Then she cut off the torn buston-holes, pieced
out the sides and made new ones, and darned
here and there, till there was not single hole.
HAS the school ma'am turned tailoress,'
IL 10