The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-07-24
"a robbins nest, ma'am 7

va WCuiut u AAOA WIZ
! had grieved tone. cit would be
such pity, when the birds have just
finished it, Are tkere eggs in it 7"
~ don't know I'll see." and he
climbed rapidly up the tree.
eyes ma'am, four" He didn't
touch them, bnt came down again to
the lowest bougli
There'll be little bir DIS soon, and
it'll be so pleasant for me to watch
them. I wish you wouldn't touch
them
81 won't ma'am. I didn't want it
for myself, but little Tommy said last
night he wished he had string of
birds eggs to look at. Tommy is
lame, ma'am, and can't get out much,
and he gets lonesome, and wants some
thing to play with. So | thought I'd
get him someo
/" Is Tommy your brother Z"
" Ma'am. I never had any brother
or sister either" Ills voice softened
as he spoke. :" He belongs to the
folks where I stay"
"I'll send Tommy something as
pretty as birds eggs. See here"
aid she broke off large bunch of IL
laos, and handed him the purple
planes Garry this to him. Put it
in a pitcher of water, and it'll keep
fresh several days; and here are some
flowers for you" And she gave him
the little bunch of violets she had
gathered "Run quick with them
now, or you'll be too late for school.
You are going to school amt yon ~
Are you the new teacher p
"Yes.n
"I'm going, then; I'll be there in
time" And he rar off.
Now, only the night before, he had
declared up and down to Tommy
that he wouldn't go to school 1t
was no use. He never would be any
body, and he was tired of being fog
ged, and beaten, and boxed. He
wouldn't stand it from woman teach
err. And if they sent lin to school
he'd play hockey" he would. Yet
the very next morning he was in q
hurry to go. fearful he should be late.
Who will dare say there is not magic
in kind words ?"
Miss Merton want early to the
schoolhonse The "worss boy" was
already there.
"Ah !" said she, kindly, " you've
beat me. But Pm very glad you are
here, for I want to learn something
about the school What is your
name ?"
Bill Hendrickson, ma'am."
Say William, my dear, or Willie
Bill is not pretty nickname"
"That's what I've been called ever
since my father died." And he sighed.
"Then your father is dead, poor
boy. She spoke tenderly. And
your mother"
"She dead, too, ma'am. She died
when I was a little baby l cannot
even RENE mber how she looked"
And new tears gathered into his blue
eyes"
Courage, thought Miss Merton.
A boy who will weep at the mention
of his dear mother cannot be all bad.
And she laid her hands carelessly
on his brown hair, and eaid softly, II
know how to feel for you Willie; for
/, too, am an orphan"
That gentle touch. It melted the
poor boys heart entirely but with
the better feelings that then surged
over his soul, came feeling of>shame,
too, and for the first time in his life
he blushed for his matted hair, and
his dirty face and hands:
II believa," he said after mo-
ment's thought, "I'll run down to
the brook and wash myself; forgot
it this morning. No didn't either"
disdaining the falsehood /; I was too
mad to do it, but I will wash now. y
"Do, Willie, that's a good boy. ]
love to see rny pupils neat and tidy.
Here's a towel for you to wipe on. !
always bring one with me to school,
for the little ones most always need
washing after dinner. And here are
pair of t-combs-bran new
ones. I'll give them to you, if you'll
promise to use them every day. +.
Willie ran to the brook, and made
such dexterous use of the towel and
combs that he hardly seemed like the
same boy when he returned.
Why, you're real handsome :"
Miss Merton spoke involuntary but
she spoke the truth, for he was a
handsome little fellow, with high,
fair brow, and wealth of nut-brown
hair clustering about his temples.
g shall not have much time to
talk to you, for hear the children
corninp.n And as she spoke, little