St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-03-08
flor hr Children.
The Prize Medal.
BY CHARLES \. DICKENS.
ONE: Up.

ONE: Up.
separate"
Wrong. The next.
'S-e-p, sep, Il, scpa, r-a-t-e. rate. sep
aratc."
Right. Take your place.
Johnny Bingham hcSitated. Frank
Sawyer stood still.
"Iou spelled the word correctly. =
said the teacher. Take your place.
johnny obeyed, but his heart beat
very fast and as he glanced at Frank
and saw the angry, disappointed look
upon his face. he heartily wished that
all the prize medals were ut the bottom
of the sea.
Johnny was ii generous. nohle-hrart
ed boy. Il bright scholar. and Il miver-
sal tavolite one who scOrned mean
act, not merely from love of approba-
ton, but because that he felt hat mean
ness was i'll itself contemplate.
Frank, as the boys said, "was il good
fellow. enough aS long as he could boss
things but Just cross him once and
you'd find trouble"
True. he had some claims to superb
ority; ii rank among the first of his
class. Il rich father. and IL peculiar fac
ulty for dominecIing among his aSSocia-
/ ties; but for all that he was not popular.
| Boys are not fond of being ''hOSScd
| and the youth who aSSumcS the posi-
tion of dictator pretty surely runs the
risk of being diSlikcd hy them: accord
ingly. when Johnny Bingham took his
| place above Frank. and left oil at the
head that afternoon. there We're unmis-
! taxable signs of satisfaction through
ont the school
The boys We're about equal in s"h"l-
ar>hip. and il WAS taken for granted
| that one or the other would bear away
the prize medal which had been Offered
To him who should secure the greatest
number of head marks duriH" the year
| p To this time neither had mi>pcllcd
Il word. The record stood Johnny
y. Frank ~.
But that unfortunate Sep-d-ratr. Il
knew how to spell it," muttcred Frank
To himself. a> he called off number one
and >hutiicd along to his seat. Il say
il aint fair. The teachers partial she
meant | should miss" And >lammin.
his book upon the desk. he sat down
Thoroughly angered and disappointed
He did not join i'll the closing SONY. "l
4 repeat with the others, The Lord i,
my shepherd"
Hes no friend of mine" REASONED
he.
Its all h">h; if he Gales any thing
tor Il fellow. why don't he help him
! ~ hrm irr'> III Il i@nI place The Id":i
ni that poverty stricken John Bingham
getting above me, If don't maxi,
myselfcNen with him before the tenn
i out. it will he hcrau>e can't
And he went glnWcring "ut OF the
s,honlrnom a> the last hcll struck. look
ing very much a> if he intended To bite
somebody. Reaching home he threw
himself upon the sofa and indUlgcd in
IL good long fit of the SuIks: nor coul,
his sister or mother. persuade him t.
divulge the secret of his unlIappme>>
t" all THEN inquiries he simply answer
ed. "'I'vr been abused" P"ur boy !,
Johnny went home. and engaged in
his accustomed round of evening du-
ties: filling the wood-bnN. milking tia,
COW, and carry ing, home the Wa~himg>
He did all chcrItullN. hut his mother
noticed that something had gone wrong.
The truth WIS. Franks dislike made
him feel uncomfortable and he more
than half regretted his afternoons sic
ci.S>.
Frank knew how /" spell that word.
thought he. Its 81 easy t" make that
II an e. I've Il good mind Ia give him
his place. "r let him oct above me
y" | won't either. I've Just a> good {;
RIGHT t" he somebody H. he. I'll Try tnl
he prize. and if he beats me. III civ,
him my hand on il.