The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-10-28

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marbles, or munabze-the-peg with the first
scaramouch he met. He had been Injured,
poor fellow, to all the forms and varieties of
beating. Now it was sudden whack on the
ear, now a dozen slaps on the palm with a
fiat ruler-now smart rap on the knuckles
now a cuff, and now kick. These were
mere ehild's play to those regular executions
which varied the monotony of every three
or four days. when coat and vest off-stand
erect, r!' and the birch was laid on till the
arm that welded it paused from fatigue. At
these times, his outcres were wont to be linn
tied only by the quantity OF his breath and
the power of his lungs; and the unfortunate
boy would shrek and roar till the neighbors,
disturbed, would shake their heads obviously,
4 and tell each other it was "that Mrs Goslng
licking poor little jim" Such was the lad
sent by the overwearied mother to Mr.. Strap
NOT more, if the truth must be told, to get
I rid of a heavy trouble, than from curiosity to
see what Jim would do in school where
they "never whipped"
On arriving at the school, Jim was let
4
He got into game of marbles, but his antag-
onsts soon perceived that he cheated,n and
turned him out. He then took to the ton
but the "fellowsn found that he had brouoht
into the area great, long -pegged thing. that
cut their little, handsome tops to pieces. No
reader that has ever been a boy, need be told
that this play consists in ones top being spun
down at it-sometimes splitting the mark
quite 10 two Jim's top, with his accurate
aim, split two or three, and the boys protest.
ed against such unequal chances. One of
them said it was like the horse CRYING "every
one for hmself'' when he danced among the
chickens. By and by he was taken into a
game of ball; but. in five minutes round
stone instead of the ball, was flung with such
violence at one of the small boys as to knock
him down and inf1ict upon him a severe con-
fusion. Jim protested it was mistake. Mr.
Strap reasoned with him. He begged pardon
and was forgiven.
The next morning the rope of " the swing''
broke while a person who was swinging fell,
to the imminent danger of his life. 1t was
found that it had been cut two-thirds through.
In the afternoon the pair of globes were
scratched to pieces with nail or knife; and
when the usher weni to ring the bell for bed,
thatnecessary instrument was no longer to be
found. A chain of circumstantial evidence
fixed these things on James Gosling. Mr..
Strap took the boy into his private room.
James,
Sir"
I" Did you scratch the globe ?''
No, sir.'
Do you give me your word of honor ?''
/" Yes, sir''
Do you know what an oath is Pr
Yes, sir"
"should you be willing to swear ?,'
Yes, sir.'
Mr.. Strap then said:
My son, to be candid, I do lot believe
you. know you to be the author of these
delinquencies'
james looked up into the mild face of his
instructor with astonishment.
If you will confess the truth, I will for
give you. Are you guilty ?'
Yes, SIM
81 thought so. Now you have imagined
yourself here, doubtless, among enemies. |
wish to show you that you are not so. We
are all your friends. If you do wrong, YOU
do SO against those who love YOU. Is that
right R''
No, sir.''
We'll, then, am willing to believe you
have done these things from bad habits
from want of refection--from ignorance of
the character of the instructors l pardon
you. Go down among your companions. Be
a better boy for the future I SHALL never
have cause to complain of you again. Shall
?n
"No, SIR"
Go, then, my dear child. Remember that
the way to be happy is to be virtuousp
"Yes, sir"
That If you intend to be respected in So
clety, you must begin as boy the honorable
conduct which you mean to practise as man.
Icould have punished you for the faults you
have committed had I SO pleased, but pun
lshment makes the master and scholar enc
mics. I 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 forgiven. Do
you hear me Pr
Yes sir,'' said Jim, with his mouth cram
med full of cake
Go, then, remember love you, and trust
to your generosity that you will not hereafter
infringe upon any of the rules. Coed morn
ing, my dear son.
Good morning, sir" said Jim, putting in
to his mouth the last bit of his cake.
Two days after this occurrence one of the
ushers found pin very ingeniously placed
in his chair, to the great arrangement of his
own ideas, and the uudisguisable merriment
of all the school when the discovery was pro-
claimed. The next day the cat was killed,
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 a pumpkin and eyes as large as
teacups.
The culprt was detected in James Gosling,
ano he was confined to bread and water diet
for three days, which did not prevent several
of the boys stockings being filled, before
they rose in the morning, with prickly years;
and the usher, who slept in the room with
the lads, on waking in the night found his