Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-08-19

menuiuS up iottiihys ciotaeS' that He
might "go decent O. Monday"
Monday came, and Tommy was duly
initiated into the mystery not merely oi
filing a little basket with stones and
emptyiug it again (for in that he was,
like the rest of the world of children, a
tolerable proficient,) but he was taught
always to empty the basket at one spot.
so as to make heap; and he directly
felt laudahle pride in the size Of his
heap, and worked nlamully.
1t was no very long time before Tom
my became really useful, for he was do
cile, and attentive, and industrious. Tho
scoolmaster whose servant, before her
marriage, Susan had been, and who re-
spected her Tor her strict integrity and
steady industry-kept. amid his own i'm
portant avocation, an observant eye on
her boy, aud took care that some sort OF
work, suited to his age, should always be
found for him. In due time, Tommy
was elevated to the post Of errand-boy
and the shoe-cleaner to the school, and
there was now no need to seek out for
work for him; his own vocation brought
him abundance; but the principle of in
dustry was already surely inculcated; the
boy never shirked his work.
II was ABOUT this time that Mr.. Fento n
frequently oberved Tom and hi s own son,
who wasa year or two younger, 10 earn.
est conference apart from the other boys.
Their usual rendezvous was the steps of
n dry well in the playground. One day
he came upon them quite Unexpectedly,
both boys started, blushed, and looked
guilty, whilst his own endeavor ed TO hud.
die something into his pocket.
"What is that you are hiding, Harry !"
said he. sternly. "Give it to me-"
please. father, it's only this" said the
boy. holding out tattered horn-book.
why do you hide this. Harry What
are you doing with it ?"
"Only teaching Tom to read. father"
(Which is crcditable both TO you and
him. You need not be ashamed OF it
either OF you. So you wish TO learn 10
read. Tom?"
II would give all | have in the world
TO learn. sir"
"Well, my boy" said Mr.. Fcnton,
smiling. lit shall not cost you so much as
that; nevertheless, you must pay for it."
Tom started at the idea Of his paying,
and so did Harry.
What meant is this. Tom: you are
hired here to perform certain duties, you
are paid for doing them, and must have
none Of them omitted. or even neglected.
But by ,corking a iiRle harder, you may
coutrivc to have spare hou- in the alter
noon, and that hour you may spend in the
school-room. This extra work. Tom,
this coming an hour earlier in the morn
ing. or working in your dinner hour-for
one or the other you must do-this is the
way in which you must pay for your
learning; and as you grow older. you
will find that nothing great or important
can be achieved without seli-denial and
exertion, you must begin to practice both
nOv. even TO learn to read"
A proud day was it for Tom Moulton,
for his happy mother, when. with newly
washed hands, and a face rs shining rs
soap and water could make it, he made
his first appearance in the school-room as
scholar. He blushed scarlet, and ielt
painfully confused rs he glanced limidiy
round, and saw the jeering and quizzical
looks that were cast on him: but Harry
Fenton smiled kindly on him, and the
usher, who had been previously instructed
by Mr.. Fenton, called him to form near
himself. and Immediately set him TO work.
From this day, Tom never once missed
his afternoon attention ut school; his
time OF entering became earlier and earli-
er, till at last he habitually came in al
most as soon as the hell rang. Mr.. Fem
ton at first made some remark, as. "Are
you not too early, Tom?n but the answer
was, 1--WE done my work, sir, every bit
of il; and rs the answer was always
true, as nothing OF his regular employ
ment was ever ne : glected, the schoolmas-
ter ceased to notice the matter.
He could not shut his eyes, however,
TO the extraordinary progress Tom made
in his chooling. The usher, who began
to take quite pride in the boy. frequent
ly called his attention to the fact, and
begged him to enlarge the circumscribed
plan which he had laid down for his learn
ing. For a time Mr.. Fenton refused to
do this. He was afraid Of entailing
misery on the boy by giving him tastes
beyond what his station in life would per-
NIT him to crafty. His mother was earn
ing her bread by sorcst drudgery; tn G
boy had no prospect but of doing the
same; and he thought that, by enabling
him to read English. to write little. and
east common accounts, he was giving
him learning sufficient to make him res :.
pectable in his own station of life, and
even to elevate him moderately above it.
He was not proof, however, against the
repeated instances of his usher, the solic.
itations of his own son, and more especi-
ally the patient perseverance of the boy
himself, when he found that he had alb