The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-07-24

| EIuQleS, anu prompt III reclLatlOnS, tHey
| will strive to emulate you, and | shall
have but little difficulty in governing
the school; but if, on the contrary,
you are noisy, forward, rude, negligent
of your lessons, and dilatory in coming
to your class, they viii imbibe your
spirit, and / shall go 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 a good one. If you
can only guide it with your heart 1t
will make good, and perhaps great
man of 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 not hesitate to say at once, I" |
will help you all | can Perhaps |
she'll forget sometimes, and act bad,
because I'm so used to cutting up,
that it'll go hard to be good all at
once. bnt if do, just look at me- and
I'll give up"
The other scholars came in just
then, and looked surprised enough to
see Willie there in earnest converse
ton with the teacher. They hung
back bashfully.
"Teli me their names Willie" said
Miss Merton kindly and as he pre-
sent9d each one, she took them by the
hand, stroking the heads of the little
boys and kissing the cheeks OF the lit
tie girls.
School opened. The scholars watch
ed in vain for Willie to begin his an
tics but proud of the confidence re-
posed in him, he never that morning
violated single rule.
You have done nobly," said Miss
Merton to him, as, at the incoming,
she sat down by him. She opened
her dinner pail. F." Bless me, but Mrs.
Gray must have thought / had
VOLTS appetite. Can't you help me to
devour some of this generous dinner 2"
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
rhubarb pie.
care there any cowslips in the
brook ~ she asked, when the meal
was finished
| "Oh yes ma'am plenty Of them. :"
"I wish you would bring me five
or six pretty ones. am going to
make a herbarlum, and i want some
of all the early wild flowers"
! The boy didn't know what her
barium was; but he brought the
flowers quickly, and looked on with
curious eyes, while she analysed one
of them, and then, after consulting
her Botany, carefully arranged the
remainder in the shape of crescent,
and placed them between the leaves of
a 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
81 am DESTROYS of making a large and
beautiful collection for | was to pre-
sent it when finished, to an invalid
friend of mine--a lady whose lameness
prevents her getting out into the fields
and forest to see the flowers. Do you
know, Willie, whether there is any
bloodroot growing about here y? |
don't know but it is too late for its
blossoms, but hope not, for l want
some of them very much they are SO
beautiful-such snowy whiteness to
the flower"
II know where there's plenty,
ma'am. I've helped to dig it many q
time. Old Granny Wilmorth, whore
Used to live, always wanted some to
put in spirits every spring. TIL get
you some tomorrow.
"Do, Willie, and any other wild
flower you may find. I shall be so
glad of them, and in return TIL teach
you botany at moons, and before school
in the morning, and give you q book
like mine, to place your specimens in.
Would you like a herbarium 2"
ooh! yes ma'am, / guess 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 underbush of the
forest. And Miss Merton laid the
new herbarium, with William Hen
erickson written on the cover, and a
beautiful piece Of poetry Oil the first
page. She divided all the flowers,
and gave him half, showing him how
to analyze and PRESS them, and wri
ting under them in her own fair hand