Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-06-15

barb pie.
care there any cowslips in the brook 2
she asked, when the meal was finished
''Ohi yes ma am, plenty Of them.
Il wish you zould bring me FIVE or siz
pretty ones. I am going to make herba
rlnm, and | want some of the early Wilt
flowers"
The boy didn't know what a herbariun
was but he brought the flowers quickly
and looked ON with curious eyes, while she
analyzed one of them, and then, after con-
sulting her Botony, carefully arranged the
remainder in the shape of crescent and
placed them between the leaves Of large
blank-book she took from her desk.
The other scholars gathered around her,
and one little girl asked her what she did
| that for
Miss Merton explained, and then care
fully turning the leaves, showed them q
page on which lay pressed the delicate stars
of the trailing arbutus. and another on
which lay the shell-tinted flowers of the an
emone and another, where the little spring
beauties lay clustered.
II am desirous of very large and beau
tiful collection for l wish to present it.,
when finished, to an invalid friend of mine
"a lady whose lamenesss prevents her get
ting out into the fields and forests to see
the fowers.-Do you know, Willie, whether
there is any bloodroot grows about here? ?
don't know but it is too late for its bios
soms but I hope not, for [ want some of
them very much they are so beautiful
such snowy whiteness to the fowers''
Il know where there's plenty, ma'am.
I've helped to dig it, many time. Old
Granny Wilnorth, where I used to live all
ways wanted some put in spirit every spring.
I'll get you some, tomorrow"
'Do, Willie, and any other wild d-fowers
you may find I shall be so glad of them !;
and in return I'll teach you botany at
moons, and before school in the morning
and give you book like mine, to place
your specimens in. Would you like a her.
barium?
':Oh! yes, ma am, guess I would. -
And the blue eyes were very bright. Early
the next morning, Willie was at the school
house with six beautiful specimens of blood
root, and several other spring flowers, which
had peeped out of the moss and underbrush
of the forest And Miss Merton laid the
new herbarium, with William Hendrickson
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, and press them, and
writing under them in her own fair hand,
the name class, and order, the spot where
it grew, its peculiaritics, its medicinal quail
tiles if it had any, and also an appropriate
verse from some poet, and the language
which florists have given it.
x >; 4 The week passed on
Friday night came, and Willie, instead Of
being the worst, had been the best boy in
school. He was bright little fellow, and
now that his mind was engaged, he bade
fair to outstrip all his mates. Miss Merton
shared her dinner with him every day, re-
moving thus one cause Of the boys rest
lessness and disobedience for every one
knows full stomach-not an overloaded
but comfortably full stomach-disposes
one to be more genial and orderly than an
empty one can possibly do. Indeed, we
have often thought that if the city mission
aries would carry good dinner to the poor
sinners, and afterwards tract, the chance
of converting them would be much greater
They walked home together, Friday eve
ming, the school-ma am, and the little rag
ged, barefooted, almost hatless pupil, She
made the way pleasant to him, talking to
him of the beautiful world that they lived
in, and pointing out the various interesting
things that were around them-the old
grey mountains in the distance, with the
purple shadow of evening dropping over
them; the green fields beside them, with
the white lambkins sporting over them;
the dim forest with its cathedral aisles
stretching far into the distan ce; the bloom
ing orchards, with their snowy promises; !;
the little brooklet, with its singing waves !;
the brown and golden birds, filing the
scented air with their clear notes and last
ly, the scarlet West, with the amber cur
rents of sunshine playing ever in gorgeous
tides And when she knew his heart was
interested, and full of unutterable feeling,
she said quietly, "What a good God to
place US in 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 to
mankind to show them the way to Heaven?'
ooh yes, ma'am." And the boy spoke
devoutly.
II thought you would, and so I asked
you. I am going to have class in the
Sunday-school, and shall open it next Sun
day. You will come, Willie, and be one Of
my scholars"
"Fd like to, ma am And then he
glanced at his bare feet, and his ragged
clothes, and sighed as he added, "But ]
don't see how can. These are all the
clothes have to wear
"I've thought of that, Willie; andif you
will come tomorrow morning to the Dea-
cons and let me have your jacket awhile,
I'll mend it up for you; and here's quar-
ter I'll give you, to 60 to the store and
buy you new hat. You can get good
straw one for that, can't you?"
'.OhI yes Dear me, how good you are
to me don't see what make you so.
Every body else frets and scolds at me,
and says III go to the penitentiary yet, I'm
so bad.
"Ilove you, Willie, and that is why
treat you as I do. An orphan myself,
can feel for your lonely life. Heaven only
knows what might have been, had not
kind friends cared for me when my father
and mother died, and left me alone In the