The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-14
JUVENILE COLUMN.
ToMMY,s DAY AT school

gu IN d cream sui Oh Ouu linen, Win us
bright, round eyes, and his yellow curls all
the gate. Il was Callie Trambull, on her
way to school, Callie looked very nice,
too, in her pink ginghamfrock and white
apron, with duted rufies and the very
minute she saw Tommy she exclaimed,
20 Tommy Bancroft yon do look too
you to school,"
Tommy's mamma looked around and
smiled at Callie, and Callie at her so be-
seechingly, that when she said, "Do,
please, let me take him" mamma hesitated
minute and then said,
well, don't know as I care, if you
will be very careful about the crossings,
and lead him all the way home"
Caiiie promised very eagerly, and Tom
my was too much delighted with the pros
pect of going to school to care mucksabout
the conditions. So his mamma got out his
little straw cap, with it's band of green vel
vet, put a clean handkerchief and seal
!oped cooky in his pocket, and then kissed
him on both cheeks, for good bye.
"Be good boy, Tommy" she said "sit
still in your seat, and don't talk out loud"
The bell rang just as they were going
up, and Tommy was nearly crushed in the
rash for the door; but Cailie held him up,
and jerked him along, and, though boy
twitched one of his curls, he shut his lips
bravely, and didn't cry.
He liked the looks Of the schoolroom
pretty we'll. There were bright-colored
maps on the walls, and a long blackboard
At one end, with some queer mark on it.
The teacher was very pleasant young
lady. with funny kind Of spectacles fas-
tened to ribbon at her belt, which size
perched occasionally upon her nose in q
way that looked to Tommy decidedly I'M
He could not see what made
them stay en-, and he began to get quite
nervous about it, when, all at once, little
bell tinkled, and Callie's class was called
up to read.
You sit STILL" she whispered to Tom
my and Tommy said eyes," right out
loud, which made Callie blush like a rose.
AS soon as she was away, boy took
aRdful of marbles from his pocket and
showed them to Tommy, and Tommy got
right up and walked over to his seat. The
teacher put on her spectacles and looked at
the class. When Callie went back
to her seat she was greatly distressed, and
tried her best to get Tommy back, but the
young gentleman was very we'll contented,
and the teacher babe her to let him alone. |
The boy gave Tommy piece of red cray
On, and let him paint the pictures in his
reader, and when his class was called he |
him along Now Tommy couldn't read the |
east bit, no more than his mothers canary,
but Billy always told him that was because |
he had never been to school, SO Tommy |
stood up in his class, and took hold Of the
corner of Bubby Steele's reader, fully ex-
There was picture of boy riding on a
pony, aud Tommy looked at the pictures
very hard while the boys read. When it
came Bubby Steele's turn he spoke up very
oud and said,
"One fine day George got on his pony to
'ide few miles into the country, to visit
lis Cousin Charles. His Cousin Charles |
ived in large farm house."
Nert" said the teacher, and Tommy |
began to read as loud and as fact as he |
,ould, and this was what he said
"It wasn't his Cousin Charles, it was his |
,ranma, and she has sticks to her specta- |
les to stick over her ears, and she gave me |
,ony ruined away cause turkey gobbler |
,obbled at him, aud the boy wasn't afraid
all and that's the end of it."
You see Tommy thought the boys were
ust making up stories about the picture,
10 he sometimes did with his rhyme book.
The boys all laughed, and 30 did the teach
IT, and she told Tommy that would do
'ery well for the first time. Then they
vent on reading, and Tommy watched the
eacher's spectacles until, all at once, he
"I sh'd thiin,k they'd pinch your nose that
way: try EN- on me, Will you ]"
Then they laughed again, and, after that,
Tommy went back to the seat with ubby /
steele, and traded his cookey for half of
air of broken scissors, and tried to chew
osin until his little white teeth were all
ummed up; and insisted ON going out to
lay with the boys, at recess, and came in
With grass stains on both knees, aud the
uffle torn half off from his collar. Poor
allie was as miserable as she could be, st
he thought of taking him home in such
light, and actually planned to take him to
he gate and then run away.
After recess he sat with another boy, who
7anted Tommy's little handkerchief for the
all to a ship which he had smuggled away
, his desk, and Tommy sold it to him for
little bottle of red ink, made out of poke
cry juice. He put the bottle in his
reast pocket, and, as it was only corked
18th paper, of course, the ink leaked out,
nd made him look as if he had been shot
trough the heart
Half an hour before school was out he
hut up great, clumsy jack-knife on one
his soft, little fingers, and frightened the
eacher So Chat she dropped her spectacles,
nd poor Callie stood by crying louder than
'ommy did, while the unlucky finger was
ound up. Then the teacher said Callie
ad better take Tommy home; and a very
,rlorn little couple they were, when they
themselves to Mrs. Bancroft.
80, my poor child I" screamed mamma: