Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-04-25

!. forgot II this morning. No / didn't either,
disdaining the falsehood, 4 was too mad to DO
it, but III wash now -LtrF
b tDo, Willie, that's q good boy. love 10 see
my pupils neat and tidy. Here's a towel for
: you to wipe on. always bring one with mo
to school, for the little ones most always need
washing after dinner And here are a pair of
pocket combs--bran new ones. I'll give them
70 you ifyou'll promise TO use them every day.
Willie ran TO the brook and made such
dexteTous use of the towel and combs, that he
hardly seemed like the same boy when he re-
turned
4 l'Why, you're real handsome. Miss Merton
spoke involuntarily, but she spoke the truth,
for he was handsome little fellow, with high,
fair brow, and wealth of fnut brown hair clus-
tsung about his temples, in soft silky curls.
i shall not have much time to ia K to you
for l hear the children coming and as she
spoke little snatches of musical laughter came
ringing through the open door; but one thing
must say, need your help Willie.'
He looked up and his blue eyes dilated in
wonder. His help! What could he do to help
her. Hst.-g
She continued 4 need your help, Wilie.-l
You are probably one of the Oldest pupils shall
have, and the little ones will look up to you as
an example. Ifthey see you quiet, mannerIy. !
orderly, faithful to your studies, and prompt In
recitations, they will strive to emulate YOU, and
shall have but little difficulty in governing lhe
school; but II, on the contrary, you are noisy, /
forward. rude, negligent Of your lessons, and |
dilatOry in coming to your class, they will im>
bibe your spirit, and shall 60 home every night |
sad and weary. Willie you are cut out for |
/ good boy and she moved her hand over his
now glossy hair. Your head is good one
II you will only guide it with your heart, it
viii make good, and perhaps great man of
| yon. Can trust you, Willie, will you help me
to make this school credit TO the district,
Willie had never been talked to in that way
before. He had never had trust repOsed in him.
he hardly knew what to make of it now but he
did mt hesitate TO say at once, Il will helm ali
eaH. Perhaps / shall forget sometimes, and
act bad, because am so used to cutting up,
that it'll 60 hard to be good at once, but ifI do,
just look at me and I'll give up
The other scholars came just then, and look
ed surprised enough to see Willie there in
earnest conversation with the teacher. Thew
hung bGck bashfuly.
Tell me their names, Willie said Miss Mer
ton, kindly, aud as be spoke each one, she took
them gently BY the hand, stroking the heads of
the little boys, and kissing the cheeks of the
girls.
School opened. The scholars watched in
vain for Willie to begin his antics, but proud
of the confidence rspOsed in him, he never,
that moraing, violated a single rule
You have done nobly, said Miss Merton to
him. She opened her dinner pail BLESS
me, but Mrs. Gray must have thought had |
VOLTS appetite. Can't you help me devour
some OF this generous dinner" The boy, used
to scraps and crusts, took eagerly the nice,
white bread, the thin slices OF pink ham, the
fresh, hard-boiled eggs, the seed cakes and
reubarb ple
Are there any cOw-slips in the brook = she
asked, when the meal was finished.
%, yes. ma'am plenty of tben'
wish you would bring me five or six pretty
ones. am going to make a herbarium, and I
want some OF all the early flowers
The boy didn't know what herbarium was,
but he brought the flowers quickly, and looked
on with curious eyes while Whe analyzed one
of taem, and then, after consulting her Botany
carefully arranged the remainder 10 the shape I
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 gill asked what she did with thar
work 2 s-.s s.. -a.-1--ei. -ti Il Z
Miss Merton explained, and then carefully
turning the leaves, showed them a page on
which lay pressed the delicate stars Of the
railing arbutus, aud another on which lay the
flowers of the anemone, and anoth- :
er where the pretty little spring beauties lay
clustered. a1ss v
Il am desirous of making very large and IT.
beautiful collection, for l wish to present it,
when inished, to an invalid friend of mine; :
ady whose laReness prevents her from getting
1ut into the fields and forests to see the flow
srs. Do you know, Willie, whether there is =
any bloodroot grows about here don't /
Know but it is too late for its blossoms, but :
hope not, for l want some very much, they
IRE so beautiful; such a snowy whiteness.'
4 know where there's plenty, ma'am. I've
helped dig it many time Old Granny Wills
north, where | used to live, always wanted =
ZONE to put in spirits every spripg. I'll get
7ou some to morrow
DO. Willie, and any other wild flowers you
nay find. [ shall be SO glad OF them, and in
'eturn I'll teach You Botany, at moons and be
ore school in the morning, and give you Il,
book like mine to place your specimens in -
Wouldn't you like TO have hefbarium!
o yes, maam, guess would, and the blue
,yes were very bright. Early next morning
Willie was at the school house with six beau>
iful specimens of bloodroot and several other
pecimens of flowers which had peeped out of
he moss and nn5erbrush Of the forest. And
diss Merton laid them in a new hefbarium, with
William Henderson written on the cover. and "a
beautiful piece of poetry on the first page an
She divided all the flowers and gave him half, sW
hoWing him how TO analyze them, and how TO 56i
,ress them, aud writing under each in her own ca
air chirography, the name, class End order, the GU
pot where it grew, its peculiar characteristics,
IS medicinal qualities, if it had them, and also =
N appropriate quotation from some poet, and
he language which fol lists have given it.
80 &c Concluded t0m0rTOIo -
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