The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-11-18


violence at one of the small boys, as to knock
him down and iafiict upon him severe con-
fusion. Jim protested it was mistake,-
Mr. Strap reasoned with him. He begged
pardon aud was forgiven. :.
The uext morning the rope Of 3the swing
broke while a person who was swinging fell ;
to the imminent danger of his life. It was
found that it had been cut two thirds through.
In the afternoon the pair of globes were
scratched to pieces with q nail or a knife ;
and when the usher went,toy ring the bell for
bed, that necessary instrument was no longer
to be found. A chain Of oircumstancial evi-
dence fixed the things on James Gosfing-
Mr.. Strap took the boy into his private rooms
| "James." ,afai sa s, ,lasE't =
| "Sir" 5aiEf ezgk ,5fezota e
"Did you scratch the globe p
.Do you give me your word of honerr
Yes, sir" ,es-- 1I1s -s.stf81iA
"Do you know what an oath is ?" I=eg-
"Yes, sir" gl si5o .-id1 -u
"should you be willing TO. swear ?"
s.Yes sir" 1i.;dslssssseisf
Mr. Strap then said
."My son, to be candid, do not believe
you 1 know you to, be the author of these
Edelinquencies."'
James looked up into the face of his in
structor with astonishment. Fsc
"If you will confess the TRUTH, I will for
give you Are you guilty {" s.a3.
;. eyes, sir." sst.t
ssI Thought SO. Now you have imagined
yourself here, doubtless, among enemies
| wish to show you that you are not 50. We
are all your friends If you do wrong, yon
do SO against those who love you. Is that
right
"No, sir"
-"Well, then, I am willing to believe you
have done all these things. from bad habits
from want of ignorance of the
character of the instructors II pardon You
Go down among your companions. Be a
better boy for the future. shall never have
cause to complain of you again. Shall Z"
"No, sir"
"Go, then, my dear child. Remember that
the way to be happy is to be virtuous.' III
Eyes. sir"
"That if you intend to be respected in So
cietv, you must begin as boy the honorable
conduct Hhich you mean to practice man )
could have punished you for the faults you
have committed had I so pleased, but punish
ment makes the master and scholar enemies.
wish you for my friend. Here is piece of
plum cake for you. Go out, my dear boy
Do not forget that you have done wrong, and
that you have been forgiyen. Do you hear;
me 2" 3 -.
eyes sir" said Jim, with his mouth
Grained full OF cake.s- rrz.E Il -5-srg.4gT
$50, then, remember love you, and trust
to your generosity that you will not hereafter
.infrirg uRnn7uuy of r'i~----~-
ming, my dear son.
HGood morning, sir" said Jim. putting in-
to his mouth the last bit of. his cake 80, 81
Two days after this occurrence one of the
ushers found pin very ingeniously placed in
his chair, to the great arrangement ct his own
ideas, and the undistinguishable merriment of
all the school when the discovery was pro-
claimed. The next day the cat was killed,fa
creature which had been much beloved and
was universally lamented, and in the evening
one of the little boys was frightened actually
into fits by ghost fourteen feet high, with
the head Of pumpkin and eyes as large as
teacups 20 Aaaesa sao
The culprit was detected in James Cos
ling, and he was confined to a bread and wa
ter diet for three days, which did not prevent
several of the boys stockings being filed,
before they rose in the moring, with prickiy
years /; and the usher. who slept in the room
with the lads. on walking in the night found
his toes tied together by long string commu-
nicatiug with the toes of six boys, who were
also thus tied, the whole being linked togeth
er Mr.. Strap looked grave at this, and James
Gosling might thank his stars that he was the
inn ate of the establishment where "they new
er whipped" He had to wear a FOOLS cap,
two feet high, with pair of jackass's ears at
tacbed to the top but one of the little boys
near him being unable to repress his laughter,
James gave him a blow on the eye, which
blinded him for a month. That very evening
Mr. Straps foot caught in a string laid across
the top of the stair in such way as nearly to
break his neck. He took james again into
the closet, AID talked to him an hour. The
argument WHICH he used would be quite too
long for the limits of this artiole.s Socrates
could not have spoken more wisely AT the
cpd he gave him another piece of cake, and
sent him into the school room, with q kind
ness more than paternat james was This time
melted He wiped his eyes and blew his nose,
and Mr.. Strap went on with bis argument,
till at length the Morthy deoiple of the new
system felt assured of its success. 1s-,'fs
sHei is mine 7" said he to himself, with
rather q benevoIent smile. "He feels his er-
ror. He will do wrong no more. How much
better thus to overcome errors than with the
british use Of this 7" and he regarded small
bamboo cane, which he unusually carried
out with him in his walks. asa -
The month had expired, and this was the
day appointed for the visit of Mrs Gosling.-
In the afternoon Mr. Strap went into his Ii
brary, where he had sent James on some er-
rand. The boy not returning, he followed
him. He had been detained by curious at
traction. beautiful little canary bird, ac-
eustomed to fiji the house with music had
been hanging in the cage against, the wall
the repentent boy had taken ito down. and
pluoked off all its feathers, and was amusing
bimself by regarding its contortions and dis
tress with . grin of delight. Mr.. Strap for.
got his system, but, obeying the honest and
doubtless correct impulse Of his soul, seized
the young reprobate by the collar. and, having
accidentally in. hand his bamboo cane, gave
him what people in the ever day world would
term regular trounciug. Mrs. Gosling en-.
tered while he was in the act. The naked
canary bird revealed the story. =
!t,iFI ought; to apologize" said Mr.. Strap, ta-
W. H}3SSeath, "a 8 e
'a; as5 madam d. T. bu sl AZ. g. sSRs sSa ever been been