The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-06-01
Children's Troubles.

Grown people, doubtless, have their cruel
fixions. Women, know, "dic daily" But
am certain, from observation and refec-
ton, that some children, and very small
ones too, suffer quite as much as it is posi-
BILE for adults to do. shall never forget a
punishment measured out to me, when
fat little chub at school. 1 had committed
the heinous offence of whispering to one
of the boys l don't rccollect what it was
about. l only remember that George
smiled at me kindly on that first terrible
day when took my scat on narrow bench
without any back, to "keep very still !"
which was then, and is now, the most fcnd-
ish torment that can be devised for me.
Directly my name was called, ''to stand
up in the middle of the floor" HIS name,
"Gcorgic," was also called. With very red
faces, out of which all the smile had gone,
We confronted each other Miss Birch then
turned us back to back, and with u string
of twinc tied our elbows together, saying to
me, 'Sincc you like boys you shall have
enough of 'cm." Now, Georgia, true to the
instincts of his sex, no sooner felt himself
"bound" to the little creature, whom he the
moment before adorcd than lie began to pull
at the cruel string, till it cut into my fat bare
arm with torturing sharpness; his jacket
sleeve protecting him from the pain he in
flicted ON me- There VIC stood, "the bows"
laughing at Georgia What little man
could stand being hen-peckcd," even
at that tender agc9 For me, l would
not have shed tear had he cut my arm in
two. let him pull and tweak, and bore
it with Spartan endurance till Dur penance
was over, and school was ''let out"
bi"Did you carc?" asked the girls of me
going home "No," answered l huskily,
with my chin in the air, twitching nrrunnsly
ct my white pinafore l said nothing about
it when got home, but went up in the gar
ret to cry it out. That Georgia should have
hurt me on purpose, when was in disgrace |!
That he should not have walked home with
me from school, us before; or that he-a
boy should be afraid though thousand
of ''the boys" looked on, to speak to a girl
to speak to me His reign was over from
that moment, spite of his curly black hair
and glittering white teeth. l staid up
garret till had it all out, among the raj
| tiers, and then washed my face and went
down to my dinner.
The next morning took my satchel and
went to school. When 1 got as far as the
corner of the street, George was there wait.
| ing for me- didn't see him. looked
straight at the lamp-post. He said softly
SARAH ~ l didn't hear. planted my
little boots firmly on the sidewalk and trot.
ted He had not been my friend in my
trouble. Failing in TINT, he had failed IN
everything. This was my first life battle
l have had others since, with greater ca
pacity for suffering; but l thought then
nothing could be worse than little Georges
| detection.
One day was walking with my two little
| girls beside me, and met George" to
whom l had never spoken since our childish
falling out. He was a physician then, in
good practice, and as handsome as man,
MS he had been as child.
We each laughed, and passed on. For
one Twas glad that was not "tied" to him,
save only for those few moments.
may add, however. by way of postscript,
that if Miss Birch imagined that she then
and there cured me of whispering to the
boys," it was fallacy. FANNY FERN.