Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1868-03-12
A BEAUTIFUL STORY.
"A cheerful word Of sympathy
May scatter clouds away,
One tttle act performed in life
Turns darkness into day."

May scatter clouds away,
One kttle act performed in life
Turns darkness into day.
On warm summer afternoon q lazy breeze
stole through the windows Of little hot dis
trict school house, lifting the white curtains,
and rustling the leaves of the copy books that
lay open on the desks Thirty or forty schol-
ars Of all ages were bending over their writing,
quiet and busy the voice Of the master, as he
passed about among the writers, was the only
sound. But though silent, this little hot school
room had its heroes and heroines as certainly 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 joined.
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 word, which had passed all the
lower end Of the class, came to Eunice. The
word was privilege. "Pr-i-v, priv, privi
-l-c-g-e, lege, privilege, spelled Eunicc. But
the teacher. vexcd with the mistake at the O.
ther end of the class, misunderstood her and
passed it. The little girl looked amazed; the
bright color came into her cheeks, and she lis
tened eagerly to tie next person, who spelled
it as she had done.
Right" said the teacher, "takc your place" ."
q spelled it so" whispered Eunice, to her
self, tears spriugng to her eyes as she passed.
But, too timid to speak to the master, she re-
mained in her place, inwardly determined to
get up again.
But her trials were not over. Many expedi-
ents were tried in the school to keep out the
arcn enemy Of all schools-whisrering At
length the following was adopted; The first
whispcrer was stood upon the floor in front of
the teachers desk. Here he acted as monitor !;
as he detected another he took his seat, and the
next offender kept a sharp lookout to find
some one to take his place, for at the close of
the school. the scholar who bad the whisperer's
place was punished very severcly-as the
school phrase was, "took q feruling" This
plan appeared to operate very well, every one
dreading being found the last on the aoor; 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, surly fellow, who
had smartcd for his faults often before; and as
school drew near its close he began to trcmble.
The instant Eunices whispered complaint
reached his car, lis face frightened up; he
was safe now. And when the class was dis
missed, he said, Eunice whispered, sir"
Eunice rose, and in trembling voice related
what she had said; but the teacher saw no ex-
cuso in it, and she was called to take the place
Of the ungencrous boy who told on her.
Books had been put away, and the waiting
school looked on in sorrowfulness as Eunicc left
her seat to take the dreaded punishment. She
was one Of the best scholars, bright, faithful,
sweet tempered, general fayorite. Every one
felt that it was unjust, and many angry glances
were at the boy who was mean enough to get a
little girl whipped. Overcome with shame aud
fear she stood up by the desk, crying bitterly,
while the teacher was preparing to infict the
punishment.
At this moment a tall boy stepped out Of
lis seat, and going to the desk, said
care you going to whip Eunice, sF?'
Yes, Inever break my rules the teacher
said
we will not sec her whipped" " said the
boy. in an excited voice There is not boy
here, but one, that would see her whipped
Whip nc, 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 thatyou will take the
punishment" ?" asked the teacher.
lido, sir, was the bold reply.
The sobbing little girl was sent to her seat,
and without iinchiug, her friend stood and re-
ceiyed 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
blessed him from her heart for noble and
generous boy, who had saved her from the
greatest shame and suffering.
I said the little school had It's heroes, and
this was one Of them. Dou You think this
conduct admirable?
Now for the moral.
The punishment received BY this noble boy
was Christ like; it was one Of suffering from
his own free viii 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-tbe Saviour Of men. How great
the gratitude each of US owes such friend.
FrREs.-The residence Of Daniel Sutton, a.
-. 49,. lie Eoet of Martins b-rr was