Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-08-08
IN ETSA MANSFIELD.
Concluded

1t So happened that it was Bcn'S turn
lo build "a fire in the >chonI-housc the
+ following morning. Mr.. Willet wa> sur.
pri>cd TO see him pass lull hour earlier
lhan The scholars usually went Tor that
purpose lie marvoled at Dunbar, let
ting him OIL 50 culy nom his work
Something unusual must have taken
place there also Had he looked in up.
on Ben after he trtcrcd The school room
he would have seen him hurr,iug Is
I though he feared he WcIe late. The mo
ment the smoke came up so dense
/ through the sticks rs 10 warrant that !.
blaze would soon follow. he picked up
some pieces OF paper that We're lying on
/ the tloo,. rubbed the smut from his hands
/ as well aS he could, and taking his writ
inc book from under the desk, he COM
meuced writing in it rs rapidly as though
hjs life depended upon his getting just 50
much done in given time. In short
time he had one page written over; bu,
il wa, evident lhlt he had not tried Ia
.mjtatc the copy at the heal Of the page,
I He cut out The leaf. read il over to him
self. erased some words, and inserted
others, and. after having corrected aud
/ improved il To the best oi his ability. he
copied it as neatly rs he could on another
! leaf lie glanced occasionally out OF The
! windows To see il the scholars were com.
ing but no one appeared till he had
/ written the last word and cut the leaf
I from the book lie folded il carefully,
and put il in his vest pocket, and hastily
/ picked up what few books he had. lie
stood with his slate in his hands and
books packed top of it, when Mr.. Willet
and some of the scholars entered. Mary
( Lee was one of them
why, Ben. are YOU going home?-
Aren't YOU coming to school any more ~
exclaimed several of The scholars At oncc
And Mr.. Willet spoke a little quicker
than he usually spoke Are YOU going
to leave Us, Benjamin? thought our
difficulties were all amicably settled yes
terday."
'"Taint ON account of any difficulty.
sir, that I'm goin' My uncle that spoke
about Yesterday, Is livin', and he come to
Mr.. Dunbar'S last night. He lives out
west lie says he has been wriiin' and
irwin for three or four years to hear
somethin' from us; and. At last he made
ND his mind he would come himself
and hunt till he found us, or heerd
s3methin' about Us, if he went all over
New England. He felt awfuly when he
heerd my mother was dead. lie h'an't
got no son, and he's goin' TO adopt me-
He's gone up to the city to-day, to get
me some new clothes. should like to
come here to school very well. now, il
he hadn't come for me-"
The scholars seemed pleased at his
good fortune, ard said they hoped he
would have good times now. And one
of the elder boys Iacetiously said: Ill
must come hard on you TO leave old Dun
bars =
Very. of course" Ben replied. al
think some of you boys had better let the
s'lcctmen know I'm goin'. They may
want 10 bind out another boy there, he
added, loking comicalIy at his patched
and soiled garments. ''Fine chance ion
some poor boy 70 step into my clothes
boots and bed. 'Twould be n good idea,
though, for the s'ectmen to send him
box of bcd-bug p'ison. fore real warm
weather comes. Cause il he's one o
the nervous kind, he won't sleep much Il
they don't never think, in hot nights
OF goin' to sleep with both eyes at once
| should be afraid there wouldn't be any
thing lett OF me fore light, if did"
The sullen, dissatisfied, downcast looks