Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-09-04

race upon MHlcn sllaule anu anger ulIh-
: gled Come, want you to take wall,
with me; have something to tell you.
Something in the teachers face arrest
ed the boys attention, and he paused a
moment.
She is going to give it to me now,
guess-but who cares? I'm not afraid !
he said, half audibly, as she turned to
lock the door.
Come, John, will not deiain you
long, she said. 'As we both 60 the same
way, we can walk together, and want
to say few words TO you as we CO.
With a sullen air and slow step, but
without a wosd, tie boy walked along,
and Miss Vernon said to him, after lit
tie pause -
John Sturgiss, l am without father or
mother, brother or sister in the world
| am alone, dependent upon my own ex-
ertions for living. If you, by your bad
example and conduct, ruin my efforts in
this school so that / cannot stay, ! proba-
/ bly, cannot obtain another situation soon,
| and | know not what will become Of me.
1t cannot possibly do you any good, but,
on the contrary, harm, to injure me f; for
if you destroy the good | have wrought
in the school, and, consequently, my hap
piness, it will not render your own hap
piness greater John, l know you have
no sisters, and that your home is none too
pleasant ! know, too, that your heart
is not wholly bad. Will you let me be
as a sister to you and will do my ut
most to assist you in your studies, and
make you a different boy, for / know you
can be smart, il you try
There was long silence, and ihen
something sounding very much like sob
broke from the lips of the boy beside her,
as be exclaimed: 4 am ugly, know
everybody says am bad boy. / wish
| hadn't done anything to hurt you, Miss
Vernon. | don't deserve to be a brother
to you; but if you mean it, l will try,
and-and-' Here his voice fairly broke
down, and he sobbed outright,
'And / know you will sncceed, my
young friend and brother said the teach
er, as she took his hand kindly. IF you
only try to overcome your faults, you can,
and you will yet make man to be proud
Of
Yes. l ,OiU try, Miss Vernon; see if
l don't, said the boy. 4 never had any
body speak 10 me before as you have, or
| might have done better. They always
scolded and nicknamed me, and every
body said was bad boy
Here they separated, as they had now
reached the road where the boy turned |
off to 60 to his home, which was none of
the happiest, as his parents were known
to live in constant pickering, and the tea
cher, with light heart, sought her board
ing house.
From that period Miss Vernon had no
cause to find fault with the boy he seem
ed an altered being, and there was no
better or more eager pupil thirsting for
knowledge in the village school at Hap
gate than John Sturgiss. Everybody |
remarked the change, and wondered what |
had come over him; but none save HIM
and the teacher knew to what it was due
to her own kindness and frankness.
That winter was a pleasant one to o.
iver and myself We often met the new !
teacher, and she and | became firm
friends. Frequently she came TO our
house with Nellie Perry, and we as often
saw her at Nellie's, and brother Oliver
one day remarked that be should think
my friend Nellie would be jealous Of my
regard for Miss Vernon
'Ob, never fear that, replied, laugh |
ingly, 'for as long as Nell has your com
pany, she does rot miss mine = And |
that was true, for when we were together,
Nellie always managed to secure Oliver,
leaving Cornelia Vernon and myself TO
entertain each other.
When the winter term of school closed,
Oliver asked Miss Vernon to take it for
the coming summer, and she accepted,
spending her vacation at Hapgate. | in
vited her to pass it with US, as | knew a
little of her history, and that she had no
home, but was dependent upon herself
She had never mentioned any friends or
relation, save an uncle who had educated
her. and whom she hoped to be able some
day to repay. l thought that a visit of
six weeks with me, while it gave us all
Measure. would at the same time save /
her expense Of board, though l did not
hint the same to her. But it was only
after a great deal of urging on my part
that she consented to come.
T. ,,o, N nina time those six weeks She