Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-02-23
) A hand touched his shoulder. 1

%
He turned fercely, Wavered for an in
slant, then a steady, defiant gleam
flashed to meet the teachers sad, firm
eyes. "Thete is no use. The chance
is lost |" they seemed to say. #''' 9'tA'.
=" Harold, he is smaller than youi'' 8 p
That was all she said, no sharpness of
personal reproof, not one word about
The wickedness of fighting, the guilt of
anger and profanity. 't S'stH ..' q
A swift flush died his eheek-his hand
dropped to his side. For a moment all
was still in the playground Miss War
held out her hand The boy caught it
impulsively, then as suddenly letting it
fall, he turned, vaulted over the high
fence, and running swiftly across the
meadow toward the creek, disappeared
behind clumplof willows. TIA gig.
No human eye saw him there, lying
upon the grass, his face in his hands,
his young breast4' swept WIN Stormy
sobs. If he prayed he did not know it,
I doubt if he thought of God at all.
Apart from some vague memory of
now Ilay me-" said at his dead moth
er's knee. his idets of devotion were of
the cold, rigid uniformity of his stern
fathers morning petitions, or the state
ly, untranslated formulas of the minis
ter's long prayer. But perhaps He who
saw the boys soul cropping after some
good it did not know, feeling weakly
for some strength notzhis own, yearning
from its bitter unrest toward some un-.
comprehended peace, was less Jealous
of forms and names. than some of us,
His followers. s5ssf kIE -g aE .sd.f e.Efa
Hal came back at little past the
bour for afternoon session, silent and
pale, but Miss Waring knew instinc-
lively that it was no sullenness which
prevented a response to her smile of
welcome. 1t was we'll, she thought, that
his heart was too sore Tor rapid healing.
Meanwhile she must give him, as best
she could, the safe tonic of helpful
service. i' br# fistE .jt.8 'Ta q -
So she asked him to stay after school
and help her to carve pair of brackets
with which she meant to surprise the
children, each one to hold asimple vase,
since the daily floral offerings were sadly
crowded by the globe and books upon
her little desk. Hhe aIa3-Hi ur
II am SO awkward with jack knife
Hail." she said, laughingly, "and last
night | cut my finger, and was quite
discouraged. Then who should come
in but Grandpa Spinney, with that won:
derful cane-head of his, and when 7
asked him who cut it, he told me quite
proudly that it was you. So | knew
Immediately where to go for help" .a
The boy blushed, half-ashamed of
having been detected in the little kind
ness-common opinion having given
him over to unalloyed evil, le uncon-
sciously shared with the rest of hui
manity the tendency to preserve q con-
sistent reputation. However, he con-
sented eagerly to her request. She took
care to let few silent moments pass in
which the memory of the recent out
break might settle down in chill con-
straint between them, and drew him on
to speak of things he understood
habits of bird or beast, secrets of wood
and water-course, gained, as she rightly
conjectured, through many a day OF
truantship, and atoned for, night by
night, with pitiless stripes. a.., t...r.
She praised again his skill with the
knife, and he told her of old Anton,
the Swiss wood carver, who had once
soiourned in the village, with his quaint
costume and broken speech, and his
thrilling stories of life among noun
tains and glaciers. .F-'.'} --f. F.
60, Miss Waringn he cried out at
last, quite carried out of himself by en-
thusiasm, 81 should like to go there
somewhere, anywhere-to be free1''
Miss Waring laid her gentle hand
upon his head. .''
"My boy i" she said, "even here, at
home, you may be more than free-a
kingr' m s.l3it lja@ .rj-"
His eager eyes were on her face. Her
solemn, tender voice went on:
"'He that ruleth his own spirit is
better than he that .taketh city A
harder conquest, Harold--a prouder
victory.n ~ gCg e&t" ..s aHfaf
The boy breathed heavily and his
eyes sank, dim with film of unshed
tears. They worked awhile in silence,
then the teacher took out her watch
at is tea time," she said. p" am
going your way tonight. Shall we walk
together ?" - 2'.8 '"".
Deacon Thorn, from his work in the
garden, bowed to Miss Waring as they
drew near. ".Al ~ 4i!' '.'-L "a 7" ",'
"I must beg your pardon, Mr.. Thorn"
she. said, "for having kept Harold SO
late. / wanted his help about a biz of
work I was doing" T3"'.
"I'm very glad, miss, if you can make
him of any use. It's more than any
body else CAM. 'i.tia t@e .'5< '2a-
Harold is doing very finely in his
arithmetic, Mr.. Thorn. Pm quite proud
of him."'s1 ati "o.7on5Ht''"s*li '''.i-''.a
: aWell, the terms but just begun. A
new broom, you know. miss p .2'''~
She saw the old hard-look darken
over the boys face. Z waI edT eE.a
"God give me patience with this
mans blindness p her soul cried out, as
she turned to pass on. her way. She
would have hidden Harold good night,
but he still walked at her side, his
heavy eyebrows knit and lowering. 8od
I"You see how it is [" he burst out at
last. "There's no use !p9ssi.
/ Harold she answered, SNAKE your
father trust you! This is part of the
battle. You are not coward, to fly at
the first onslaught?" .l1 :.
Z GA coward Mop His face famed.
q But it seems to me cowafdly to bear
things. m sick of meekness and pa.
thence, the right cheek, and left cheek,
and all that! There's that Gfidley-
you know him, Miss Waring2 He came
to me when | was in" He stopped
short with hot flush, and his listener
felt instinctively that the word jail "
had almost passed his lips. '
: He came to- me once, and told me
how awfully wicked I was, and talked
about meekness and forgiying ones
enemies-he when / had seen him
Aoo bis ovo,, in +bo f,Irrow Miss War.