The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-04-02
A BEAUTIFUL STORY.
"a cheerful word of sympathy
May scatter clouds away,
One little act performed in life
Turns darkness into day.o

One little act performed in life
Turns darkness into day."
On warm summer afternoon a lazy
breeze stole through the windows of a
little hot district school house, lifting the
white curtains, and rustling the leaves of
the copy books that lay open on the desks
Thirty or forty scholars of all ages were
bending over their writing, quiet and busy;
the voice of the master, as he passed about
among the writer's, was the only sound.
But though silent this little hot school
room had its heroes and heroines as cer~
tainly as the wider sphere of life.
The bell rings for the writing to be laid
by; and now comes the last exercise of
the day, the spelling, in which nearly all
the school join. At the head of the class
is delicate little girl, in blue dress,
whose bright eyes and attentive air show
that she prizes her place and means to
keep it.
Presently a word, which had passed all
the lower end of the class, came to Eunice.
The word was privilege. F'P-r-i-v, priv
i, privi-le-g-e, lege-privilege," spelled
Eunice. But the teacher, vexed with
the mistake at the other end of the class,
misunderstood her, and passed it. The
little girl looked amazed, the bright color
came into her cheeks, and she listened
eagerly to the next Lperson who spelled it
as she had done.
''Right," said the teacher; "take your
place"
81 spelled it So" whispered Eunice to
herself, tears springing to her eyes as she
passed down. But too timid to speak to
the master, she remained in her place, in
wardly determined to get up again.
But her trials were not over. Many
expedients were tried in the school to keep
| out the arch enemy of all schools-whis>
pering. At length the following was
| adopted: The first whisperer was stood
upon the floor in front of the teachers
desk. Here he acted as monitor; as he
detected another he took his place, for at
the close of the school. the scholar who
had the whisperer's place was punished
very severely-as the school phrase WAS,
''took a feruling!" This plan appeared
to operate very well every one dread I'd
being found the last on the floor; but
though it secured An orderly school, many
of the parents and scholars doubted its
Justice.
The boy who was on the floor when
Eunice lost her place, was an unruly
fellow, who had smarted for his faults of
ten before; and as school drew near its
close, he began to tremble. The instant
Eunice's whispered complaint reach his
ear, his face frightened up he was safe
now. And when the class was dismissed,
he said. F'Eunice whispered, SIR
Eunice rose, and in trembling voice re-
lated what she had said; but the teacher
saw no excuse in it, and she was called TO
take the place of the ungenerous boy who
had told on her.
Books had been put away, and the
waiting school looked on in sorrowfnlness
as Eunice left her seat to take the dreaded
punishment. She was one of the best
scholars, bright, faithful, sweet tempered,
and great favorite. Every one felt that
it was unjust, and many angry gIanccs
were at the boy, who was mean enough
to get a girl whipped. Overcome with
shame and fear she stood up by the desk,
crying bitterly, while the teacher was
preparing to inflict the punishment.
At this moment tall boy stepped out
of the seat, and going up 10 the desk,
said:
care you going to whip Ennice, sir %
eyes, never break my rules" the
teacher said.
''We will not see her whipped ~ said
the boy, in an excited voice. "There is
not boy here, but one, that would see
her whipped. Whip me sir, and keep your
rule if you must, but don't touch that
little girl
The master paused /; the school looked
on tearfully.
''Do you mean TO say that you will
take the punishment % asked the teacher.
''I do sir" was the bold reply.
The sobbing little girl was sent to her
seat, and without hinching, her friend
stood and received the punishment that
was to have fallen on her. The school
was dismissed, and the boys paid him
in admiration and praise for all he had
suffered, while the grateful little girl bless
ed him from her heart for q noble and
generous boy, who had saved her from the
greatest shame and suffering
I said the little school had its heroes,
and this was one OF them. Do you think
this conduct admirable.
Now for the moral
The punishment received by this noble
boy was Christ-hke it was one of suffer-
lug from his own free will, the punishment
that was to have been borne by another.
You see-do you not-that this is just
what Christ did, who bore our sin in His
own body, on the tree-the Savior Of
men. How great the gratitude each of
US owes to such friend.
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