Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-03-13

- SUeIS dlOuS lne udTFOW aisle, casting
IS Keen glance at the teacher as he
IS went. She nodded pleasantly, her
Sc rapid. practiced eye taking him in,
le from the heavy boots, so splashed
e with wet sand as to suggest the cause
q of his tardiness to have been a morn
er ing visit to the creek, TO the brown,
shapely throat revealed by the turn
l. down collar of his coarse gray Jacket,
d the proud head covered with crisp.
!, auburn curls, the dark eyes full OF
y dangerous fire, the reckless untrustful
: expression, Over-waiting like the
K characters of a palimsest, the first
e noble plan of his young face.
d No wonder, she thought, that the
people had turned in their seats "
4 when the dove eyed mother had
: brought in her youngest eaglet. She
D could fancy him in his glorious baby
hood, radiant, unsullied-heaven his
3 fatherland, earth his Inheritance.
t The teacher paused until the room
was quiet again, then she resumed
, what she had been saying.
: As / was telling you, children,
rules are troublesome, and only good
for people who do not wish to Keep
them. 1t is so much nicer to do the
things we ought because we like to.
l shall give you Just one rule, {" Do
right" The very smallest one of YOU
will understand that. And 1 shall |
trust you, every one"
She looked up ard caught Halls 1
eyes fixed on her with ali intensity |
that made her start. Oddly enough, |
something far back in her childhood /
seemed to confront her in his face. 1
She groped for a moment in the |
labyrinth of her memory, and caught /
the clue.
Her father was Garrisonian ab0li-
Zionist, his house was a station on the
underground railway. One night a
poor bOndman came, hard pressed by
the officers. There was just time TO
hide him in the grainary, under a
heap of empty bags, in corner full
of dust and eobwebs. His pursuers,
warrant in hand came in hot haste, /
searching the house from gaTTPt to
cellar, ranging barns and out-houses,
I tbrusting pitchfOrks ruthlessly into
fragrant hay mOws, cropping at last
into that very heap of sacking, whose
heart was one unit of agony in the
unsolved problem of the world's sOr-
row. At the instant when all hope :
4 had fled they turned away, baffied Il
and, as the ring of the horses hOofs
died upon the distant highway, the
fugitive came forth.
The little girl. clinging to her
fathers cOat-there were hO secrets in
that househeld-had kept, through I
all her years, the memory of that I
sable countenance. 9
lone chance more" it said, " for ]
life, liberty, home! One chance
more!"
lone chance MORE" said the boys |
face, at once so young, and so sadly s
old, "for faith, sympathy, love! One '
chance more 20 !
DAYS passed. Miss Warnings single !
rule was working. The children were I
not perfect-aggravatiDgly human
sometimes-yet the best in each nature (
seemed lifting itself like plant, to |
the sunshine, checked by sterile soil, !
turned aside by stones, half choked /
by rank weeds, yet struggling and a
aspiring still. She worked and waited.
Hal Thorn developed powers of at Z
tention and application which aston '
ished her. His conduct had been +
thus far irreprOachable, but he seemed h
to shield himself behind an impene- /
trable barrier. She felt herself on N
trial, with judgment reserved. I
AT last, il was one noon, sound Of |
angry voices smote her ear. She 4
stepped to the door. The boys were ii
gathered in a crowd, and the first !,
glance showed her Hal Thorn, his
eyes blazing and his face pale with 4
passion.
Take that back, Bill Jenkins, or ;,
by -! I'll -" His clenched fist Il
was raised high, the veins in his bold Il
forehead knotted, his white teeth set. N
The boys parted suddenly, but he did V
not see. 81
A hand touched his shoulder. d
He turned fiercely, wavered for an n
instant, then a steady, defiant CLEAN le
flashed to meet the teachers sad, firm W
eyes. "There's no use. 1 he chance n
is lost :" they seemed to say. II
Harold, he is smaller than you !" q,
That was all she said, no sharpness ri
of personal repToof, not one word W
about the wickedGess of fighting, the hi
guilt of anger and profanity. W
a swift flush died his cheek-his n
hand dropped to his side. For a mo-
ment all was still in the playground. le
Miss Waring held out her hand. The m
boy caught it impulsively, then as hi
letting it fall, he turned, M
vaulted over the high fence, and run hi
ming swiftly across the meadow TO-
ward the creek, disappeared behind or
clump of willows. as
No human eye saw bim there, M
wing upon the grass. his face in his br
hands, his young breast swept with N
stormy sobs If he prayed he did N,
not know it. doubt if he thought m
Of God at all. Apart from some vague ar
memory of now l lay me" said at h,
his dead mothers knee, his ideas of bI
devotion were of the cold, rigid uni N
iOrmity of his stern fathers morning a.
or the stately, untTanslated Il,
formulas of the minister's long PRAYER. in
But perhaps He who saw the bows
cropping after some good it did not ar
know, feeling weakly for some N,
strength not his own, yearDing from bt
is bitter unrest toward some uncom- on
pretended peace, was less jealous of 81
orns and names, than some of us,
His followers.
Hal came back at little past the nc
hour for afternoon session, silent and =
1ale, but Miss Waring knew instinc- be
lively that it was not sullenness which W;
prevented a response to her smile of
Welcome. It was well, she thought, hi
hat his heart was too sore for rapid ril
healing. Meanwhile she must give ne
him, as best she could, the safe tonic he
If helpful service. to
So she asked him to stay after school
md help her to carve pair of brack-
is with which she meant to surprise te
he children, each one 10 hold SIM he
,le vase, since the daily floral offer he
ngs were sadly crowded by the vi
lobe and books upon her little desk. WI
al am so awkward with a jack fla
,nife, Hal, 'ishe said laughingly, land
asst night cut my finger, and was dr.
mite discouraged. Then who should
ONE in but Grandpa Spinney, with of
hat wonderful cane-head of his, and
when asked MIN who cut if, he told la.
ne quite proudly that it was you. So pa
knew Immediately where to go for
lelp."
The boy blushed, half ashamed of sh
Iaving been detected in the little of
indness-common opinion having stl
iven him over to unalloyed evil, he on
shared with the rest of 10,
humanity the tendency TO preserve a sh
ousistent reputation. However, he M
onsented eagerly to her request. She di
Ook care to let few silent moments ra
-, 10, ,F -. !