The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1870-04-26

e. d
hos much al informef is despisei,
Ibore Is great difference. John. was
Thomas reply, as my father has often
told me. between mere tsli-lale. az he
il called 10 school. and one who makes
known The wrong action of auothtr fBr
the good u All Eow Il. ior tie mere
delight u seeipg others punished, /
were 70 be constantly running 10 the
tea her with complaints aga inst the 9th.
er boys. then / would be ih at very mean
body teIi.jale Bot / have 10 sacl
motives ia view james Harker has
not only broken the rules Of the class,
aud led others 10 be as bad rs himself.
but be has also been wicked enough TO
tell falsehood twice, 50 that our teach
er cannot believe any one Of as Now,
tor one, have been taught to love
truth ever since ! can remember; and
] can not. aud VIII not, rest under the
charge Of faisehool,
Then why not 20 to the teacher aud
declare your innocence 2
What good wouid that do - Has not
every boy in tue class done the same
the innocent with the guity2 could
not ask the teacher to believe me now.
Well, indeed | wouldn't DO It, Tom,
urged his friend
You have given me no good reason
yet John, why should not do rs |
have said
! say that you win get the ill-will of
the whole class
That is not eause enough not to do
right
Thus the two boys talked as they
walked along, aud nj length parted from
each other As soon as Thomas Jones
entered his own house, he sought out
bis father, by whose judgment be was
always guided in difficulties. To bim
he submitted his case and asked to be
advised.
You have made mp yonr mind Thorn
as, YOU say, to inform your teacher to
morrow that james Harker was one OF
the offenders
That is, il YOU think ought to faith
er
From what you have told me, Thorn
as, do, certainly, But you viii no
doubt be blamed, and have your mo.
tiges condemned by many Of your
school mates
| know that, father Bnt you have
often told me that | should always be
governed by right motives, and not by
the opinion Of others.
And you are conscious of having
right motives in what you now propose
to do?
/ nm, father
You do not feel glad at the idea OF
having James Harker punished Tor his
conduct? ?
Indeed, | do not. II is that idea that
causes me to hesitate more than any
thing else.
What, then, is your motive?
One motive, father, is to clear myself
from the charge Of bad conduct and
talsehood; and another motive is to re-
lieye from the like blame all in the
class who are innocent. 1t seems to
me, III case like this, that il is every
boy duty to point out the guilty, who
are thus taking away the good charac-
ter OF the whole 1t is not right, faith
er, that the good be injured under the
false idea that it is mean to expose
what is evil,
You certainly reason correctly, nv
boy, replied Mr.. Jones; and / shall full
ly approve your act Do pot be hin
dered from doing it, under the idea
that You will be Knocked as an inform
er. There arc many cases where ii is
right TO become an informer, and wrong
TO withhold the truth; and this, | am
sure, is an instance where the former
rule clearly applies But in making
your statement--as it is one in which
your character and standing in the
school ia involved do so in writing
under your own name, with your reas-
ons. After resolving to act right in
matter where he may be misjudged, it
as the duty Of every one to give bis
reasons that lac may not he injured by
false judgment.
On the next morning, Thomas Jones
waited until nearly the close of the
school, TO see il James Harker would
be honest and magnanimoas enough to
confess his fault As he did not do so,
Thomas bravely went up, with firm
step, TO the teachers desk, handed him
note aud then retired to his seat.
The teacher read the note, and after
rejecting for few minutes, arose and
called the school TO order.
! hold note in my hand, he said,
after silence and attention were obtain
ed, the reading Of which has given me
great pleasure. It indicates tone of
feeling and principle highly honorable
to the writer As requested by him, /
viii now read il 10 the class.
Ma -
SIR Yesterday there Ras a yiolatiou Of order
in the school, the offenders ia which You tried
70 hud ugt. but IN vain. la yuur manner u and
ing the guilty the innocent became involved IN
the charge u disorder aud. shat is Thousand
times worse of faiecbood 7 sa9 one bsy Ia the
have tIled, 10 vain, 10 convince him that he ought
60 cohfe#s hir fault agd thus relieve his school
mAteA ff0ta the blame under ebich they now
rect. But be vii not % -, and calls ne 3 tell
tale, and other hard names, becAuse ! tell him
he vii not 10 80 ! shah be compelled 10 become
AZ infJrmtf. SuR, ID dong 90 / wish II 10 be
clearly understood that % B5, want % -ee him
punished, bnt Am 0piy obliged, iTom q sense u
datY q myself and the whole class 70 do this act
Tho hays name Is James Hhrkef Please read
this tp TIE class. TlloaAs JOSIE
james Harker viii come forward, the
teacher said, a. be laid aside the note.
The boy thus called came forward
with guilty, downcasi face
Dd you make the noise complain
"a 81 Yesterday?
Yes, sir
Why aid YOU 10 IT,
BIZ Grimes. Henry Peters and Tom