The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-03-22
Brave Kitty.

/ 1t was hot July afternoon. Scarcely
/ q breath stirred the naples, which ex-
/ tended their loving green arms around
/ the school house, and tossed their leafy
fingers into its windows The large and
busy school room, too was still But a
moment before, it had been fun of the
merry voices of a hundred scholars but
the tinkle of Mr. Shows bell had silenc-
ed all, and now everything in the school
1 and class-ro was very quiet. Pom
derous Iexicons, and well worn gram
mars, were produced from the polished
desks, and young heads were bent
thoughtfully~ over puzzling lessons
Nothing was heard but the soft rustic of
leaves, and occasionally the scratch OF q
pencil, as it obeyed the active brain, in
working out some difficult problem. Sud
denly the Principals voice broke the
. stiffness. He spoke sternly, for a rule
of the school had been broken, and he
was very strict On one of the front
desks, lay a massive Latin Dictionary
Now the rule was, that no scholar should
leave book on her desk, when school
| was dismissed at noon: and If she did
so, her report for the month bore dis
graceful traces OF her careless disregard
of the regulations.
- Young ladies' demanded Mr.. Snow,
''whose book is that .
Several voices answered, " Mary TIL
dens.''
MARY Tilden is absent, is she not !? -
Yes, sir p"
'Who sits with her.. inquired Mr..
Snow.
Ada Wheaton,
She is in the classroom. Miss Nan
ME, will you call her"
10 trar hlincr Srah
, mons generally portended a scolding.
, such as Mr. Snow knew well how to give
Miss Ada, queried the teacher, " is
that Mary Tilden's lexicon
8 Yes sir. F"
THAT is sufficient; you may go.
, The scholars resumed their studies !;
some rejoicing in the disgrace of class
, mate, whose excellent abilities made her
an object of envy; and some plying
her thoughtlessness. One might have
r been observed, bending over her algebra,
with troubled face She was evidently
thinking of something beside the KY
l rs before her At length she pushed
! the book aside, and drawing towards her
e a slip of paper, wrote upon it, . W hat
! shall l do, Carrie :? l am almost sure
that | sat down in Mary's chair before
school, this noon, and that l took the
dictionary out of it, and put it on the
, desk. Had 1 better tell Mr.. Snow p
; Then pushing the little note towards her
seat mate, she awaited an answer. 1t
was not very satisfactory. Only, :" Do
; just as YOU think is right, Kitty. The
( afternoon wore on, and four o'clock
I came. The bell struck, books and pa
, pers were hustled to their places, and
the scholars departed. All save one
Kittv ranainaI ainna with 10
principal. Very stern he looked, but
Kitty was brave. Advancing to the
r desk she said softly, Mr.. Snow" He
{ raised his eyes from the composition he
Q was correcting, and fixed them on her
: Keen black eyes they were, but she did
| not quail
Y Mr.. Snow. don't think you ought to
spoil Mary Tilden's report, but mine
| q Yours why 500" Mr. Snow was
t thoroughly interested, for Kitty was one
: of his best scholars.
| Because. sir, l am almost sure that
, / was to blame l wanted to sit down
in Marys chair this noon, and her die
tionary was in it. / think l took it out
and put it on her desk; and Marys re
port ought not to he spoiled"
, The tears stood in Kittys eyes, as she
finished, for she was ambitious, and she
1elt sure she Snould be ulSgraced IN Ma
\ rvs place. / will not affirm there was
i no moisture in Mr.. Shows eyes as he
said, Miss Kitty, if you say so, Mary S
report shall not be spoiled. -
t Kitty turned away from the desk, feel
| ing lighthearted. She wondered at her
self, for she was very sorry to lose her
| standing in department.
What was her surprise at the close OF
I the term to find. that not only Mary S
, report was unsuiled, but her 0ton ranked
! her higher than ever before People
! wonder sometimes, why Mr.. Snow, who
E rarely commends, is so warm in his
t praises of Kitty. Her schoolmates say,
Mr.. Snow is partial =" But he who
cloves the TRUTH the whole truth, and
5 nothing but the truth, looked down in
to Kitty Leland's heart that summer at
. ternoon, and He has rewarded her.