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

he had worn NIL winter, had lcit him,
and he spoke So cheerfully, and looked
so bright and hopeful, the scholars
thought he was Il pretty good-looking
boy, in spite of his sandy hair, and frcckle
face
In The hustle attending the scholars
coming in and taking their places, rs it
drew near time TO open the morning scs-
sion, Ben managed to take from his
pocket the folded sheet. which he had
cut'irom his wiring hook, and gave it TO
Mary Lee. nobservcd by any other
scholar, She slyly slipped it into her
dress pocket. and did not venture 10 take
il out till she went to her room that night.
She WAS baShful girl, notwithstanding
she was so brave in speaking, when she
/ thought the truth demanded it; and she
Shrunk from the Jokes which she knew
the scholars would get off at her ex-
ptnSc, if they should find out that Ben
had written her letter. But she is
twenty years older now. than she was
then, and it will rot trouble her ut all 10
have others read it, The following is a
correct copy OF the original letter.
february Tenth, 1851!
dear miss Mary lee
perhaps you'l think inc Bold to rite
| YOU "A letter, but unkles come from ohio
| lor me and We start this Afternoon
want la tell you fore Go. how thankful
/ / am L" YOU lor takiu NY part Yesterday I,
I i've nnli~cd all winter that YOU didn't poke
/ fun At me or run on me As the rest did
/ i di,ln' no Ii YOU thol it WAS rong, OF 1t
[ You lhot want wuth noti,in' no way
now No twool n gone hard with me
/ Ni~terl:l, i'll h3nd'I been FOR You, caws i
/ never >houd dared To told en- How things
went with me If your sprakiu' so kind an
/ lrcW hadn't gIn me kurrigc lis n CRATE
/ kumlort to me To have the skolarS No i
ain'l such \ mean, good for nothin lcllet
/ IL they rhoi was my unkle ses May
/ 90 to >kool al wanter, so Hope shall
/ bc ~ good a Skolar sometime rs my IA
I thcr was. an II i ever no cnuif, an am
I good cnuff to 20 and sec any body rs
/ YOU Be, lie come all the way from ohio
/ 10 thank YOU agin i feel orluly 10 think
+ / swore 81 Yesterday rev IA live an
/ brcelh, never Swore 50 aiore, IN never
will Agn I. hope god will bless you, IN
YOU will be well nm happy for your kind
ness to me
good BY !,
Benjamin farewell !m
lie probably would rot be quite 50 pro-
T fuse of exclamation points in u letter
uov He undoubtedly thought then. that
/ they we're the handsomest punctuation
marks there were, and so he preferred to
use them, aud that capital letters should
bc thrown in occasionally, according to
the taste Of the writer, Tor ornamental.
ton.
When Ben said good by to the schol
ars, and went out. Mr.. Willet took a
pocket.biblc and package from his desk,
and went out, also, and closed the school
room door tier him When he returned,
/ he did not have the bible nor The pack
age What his parting word, with Ben
wcre, his scholars never knew. lie look
/ cd anxious and thoughtful ull day. The
children observed that the tones of hi,
voice were more gentle, and less formal.
Somehow he WAS u different man from
that time. He taught school in that dis
lrict twelve winters in succession. after
that. bat in all those years, not one for
lorn and discouraged child ever Thought
that he looked upon him with disdlin or
even Indifference
Ben met Libby Arnold short distance
! from the Schoo house
why Ben" she exclaimed, rushing
up to him, "what have you got all Of
your books for? ! wouldn't leave the
school il were you. You'll hive good
times, now. waa never 50 sorry for
anything in my life, rs am for the way
/ | treated YOU Yesterday. didn't tell
my folks anything about it when first
got home. felt ashamed of it. | couldn't
eat any supper, and looked so sober
mother said that she knew something
troubled me, and made me tell her what
it was. She was almost angry with me
when | told her that | got some little
boys to bring in dust pan full of snow,
and ask yon to rub your dirty hands with
it. She said that almost any one, il so
insuted, would have bnen tempted TO
roll it up in hard ball and throw it ut
me- She told father Of it, and they both
talked to me ever 50 long. Father said
that he should see the selectmen about
you before this week is out. He went
out to his store, and brought in two pairs
of thick WOODEN stockings for me TO bring
to YOU, this morning. And mother has
sent YOU some nice frosted loaf cake for
Your dinner. The lrosting is half an inch
thick. You'll go back to school now,
won't you"
She talked SO fast that she was obliged
to pause, ut last, to take breath, and Ben
had a chance to answer her questions,
and explain the cause of his leaving
school. AT first he declined to take the
stockings. telling her that his uncle
would get him every thing he needed.
but you must take them,' she said.
.'If you don't | shall feel very badly
about it. have planned ever SO many