Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-11-20

violence at one Of the small bows, as to
knock him down and to inflict upon
him severe confusion. Jim protest.
cd it was mistake. Mr.. Strap rcas.
oned with him. lie begged pardon,
and was forgiven.
The next morning the rope of the
swing broke while person who was
swinging fell, to the imminent danger
Of his life. 1t was found that 1t had
been cut two-thirds through. In the
afternoon the pair of globes were
scratched to pieces with a nail or
knife; and when the usher went to
ring the bell for bed, that necessary in
strument was no longer to be found.
A chain of circumstancial evidence
fixed these things on James Gosling.
Mr.. Strap took the boy into his pri-
yate room.
s'James.'
Sir"
Did you scratch the globes:"
s'No, sir.
.:Do yon give me your word and
honor?'
"Yes, sir
"Do you know what an oath isi"
ayes, SIR"
SHOULD you be willing TO swear:.
"Ycs, sir"
Mr.. Strap then said:
stMy son, be candid; do not be-
lievc you. l know you to be the au-
thor Of these delinqnencies."
James looked up into the mild face
of his mild instructor with astonish-
mcnt.
.s3If you will confess the truth, will
forgive yon. Are You not guilty"
eyes, SIR"
~ thought SO. Now, you have inn
agined yourself here, doubtless among
enemies. | wish to show you that You
are not so. We are all your friends.
II you do wrong, you do so against
those who love you. Is that right?"
"No, SIR"
"Well, then, / am willing to believe
You have done these things from bad
habits--from want of reflection
from ignorance Of the character of
the instructors. l pardon you. Go
down among yOnr companions. Be
better boy for the future. shall new
er have cause TO complain of you
again, shall II"
"No, SIR"
$50, then, my dear child. Rcmem-
ber the way to be happy is to be vir-
tnous.''
"Yes, sir"
"That if you intend to be respected
in society, you must begin as a boy
the honorable conduct which you
mean TO practice as man. l could
have punished you for the faults You
have committed, had so pleased, but
punishment makes the master and
scholar enemies. | wish you for my
friend. Here is piece OF plum cake
for you. Go out my dear boy do not
forget that you have done wrong, and
that you have been forgiven. Do you
hear?"
"Yer, SIR said Jim with his mouth
full of cake.
"Go then remember that love you
and trust to your generosity that you
will not hereafter Infringe any cf the
rules. Good morning. my dear SON"
Good morning, sir" said Jim, put
ting into his mouth the last bit of his
cake.
TWO days after this occurrence, one
of the ushcrs found q pin very ingen.
iously fixed in his chair, to the great
arrangement of his own ideas and the
nndisguised merriment of the whole
school, when the discovery was pro.
claimed. The next day the cat was
killed, creature which had been be-
loved by all, and was universally Ia
mented and in the evening one Of the
little boys was frightened into fits by
a ghost fourteen feet high, with the
head Of a pumpkin and, eyes as large
as teacups.
The culprit was discovered in Jim
Gosling, and he was confined to q
bread and water diet for three days
which did not prevent several of the
boys stockings being filed before they
arose in the morning with prickley
pears and the usher who slept in the
room with the lads, ON waking in the
night, found his toes tied together
with q long string communicating
with the toes of ak boys, who were
also thus tied, the whole being linked
together. Mr.. Strap looked grave al
this, and James Gosling might thank
his stars that he was an inmate of an
institution where "they never whip.
ped" He had to wear fools
cap two feet high, with pair of jack
ass ears attached to the top; but one
OF the little boys near him, being un-
able to repress his laughter, James
gave him blow Oh the eye that blind
cd him for month. That very nigh,
Mr.. Straps foot caught in string
laid across the bottom of the stairs, in
such way as to nearly break his
neck. lie took James into the closet
and talked to him for an hour. The
| arguments which he used would bt
quite too long for the limits of this
| article.
At the end he gave him another
piece of cake, and sent him to the
school room with a kindness more
than paternal. James was this time
melted. He wiped his eyes and blew
his nose, and Mr.. Strap went on will
his argument, till the worthy disciple
of the new system felt assured Of it
success.
CHE is mine," said he to himself
with rather benevolent smile. Ill
feels his errors he will do wrong M
more. How much better to thus over
come his errors, than with the .brutisl
force of this!" and he regarded !:
small bamboo cane, which he usually
carried out with him in his walks.
The month had expired and this wal
the day appointed for the visit of Mrs
Gosling. In the afternoon Mr.. STRAP
went to his library where James wal
on some errand. lie had been detained
by curious attraction. A beautiful
little canary bird, accustomed to fiji
the house with music, had been hang
ing in his cage against the wall; thu
repentant boy had taken it down and
plucked all its feathers, and was anus
ing himself with regarding its contor
tions and distress with grin Of de
light. Mr.. Strap forgot his system
but obeying the honest and doubtless
correct impulse Of his soul, seized th,
young reprobate by the collar, an(
having accidentally in hand his BAN
boo cane, gave him what people ia th'
everyday world would call goot
trouncing. Mrs. Gosling entered
while he was in the act. The naket
canary bird revealed the story.
~ ought to apologize" said Strap
taking breath.
| sE'or licking my lin ?" asked Mrs