The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-04-17
The Gold Watch.
BY HERBERT NEWBURY.

"That is agood school report, Hal I;
keep your rank up to that until the
end of the year and I will give you a
gold watch worth wearing" So spoke
Uncle Hamilton to his nephew and
namesake, Hamilton Hunter. Halls
dark eyes flashed, and he drew his
breath quick at the thought of such a
present for his mother was a widow,
with small means, and Halls dream
of watch was a golden vision of the
future. The flash, however, faded III
disappointment as he replied:
''YOurs is a very safe promise, Un-
Gle Hamilton ; that monthly report is
the best 1 ever had, it is nearly per-
feet, and can't do it constantly I;
there are so many things turning up
in a school to take down ones rank a
trifle fellow can't keep clear of eve
rything."
"That is just it, Hal I want you
should, and ifyOu don't you surely
can't have the watch. II you deter
mine you will do it, you can. What
hinders you from learning your les
sons as well, and behaving as well,
every day next month as you did eve
ry day this month? ? What took down
your scholarship in December ?'
az got to reading one evening and
neglected my Latin, thinking could
rub and go, as have many a time,
making it up on review. I did rub,
but didn't CO."
"And what was the trouble with
your department the month previous
to this ?'
''Tardy, uncle; a check for tardiness
or bad behavior, takes one down as
much as the total failure of two reei-
tations."
"Any need of being tardy ?"
"No, uncle, only the same you
would have without q watch, and
with the old town clock at skies and
scvens. I didn't try to beg the check
OFF; 1 had ears and might have listen
ed for the bell. There t rings now.
Please sign the monthly report, man.
ma, and good morning. Good morn
ing, Uncle Hamilton-thank you for
the watch %
"Dou't be vexe6 with me, brother,
but fear it will do the dear boy harm
to struggle to keep his rank up to the
highest notch. 1 never have urged
him to try for it / only urge him to
do right"
"I know it, and that is why 1 am
whetting up his ambition with the
promise of the watch. He can do bet
ter than he has, and win it as well as
not if he tries. Nothing like defin-
ite aim" The mother sighed.
"What if he should do some mean
or wrong thing to escape bad marks
or win good ones ?"
''The highest ground is to be above
doing a mean thing for any reward.
He must be up there in life. If yOlI
think Hal will beg of, or lie of, any
checks for the sake of the watch, l
don't. But he will soon learn not to
be tardy because the town clock stops,
and not to depend upon his wits to
| take him through his lessOn.n
Hal could hardly keep gold watches
from coming between his eyes and his
slate that morning f; but he did sue
ceed, and recited perfect in Algebra.
"You are trying to please Christ,
Hal" said his mother that evening (;
''don't be tempted to to anything
your conscience disapproves to please
Uncle Hamilton, or to win gold
watch"
''No, Mother, not for a thousand
watches" The next evening Hal
said
"Mother, I thought I could not be
tempted about that report, but l have
BEEN"
1--WE are none of us above being
tempted my boy, bnt we can resist
Did you ?'
mot quickly enough. had a long
example on the board. Those who
finish them promptly receive credits
see it, mamma ?''
eyes, the credits are for works Ol
supererOgatiOn indulgence to sir
some other time"
Precisely; well, needed a credit
to offset a failure, and when the wore
came for those who had finished to
take their seats, my example was moi
quite done ; but l could see what the
answer must be, and quicker thai
thought 1 just put it down, without
completing the work, and took my
seat with those who had finished anI
could receive each a credit"
''Oh, Hal L am sorry-yOu won'
let it rest there ?"
'No, 1 have not. did it quicke
than thought, and the moment L die
think felt meaner than mean. Jus
as our teacher was marking US, ros
and said. "My example is not com
pleted." "YOur place is at the boar
them" said Mr.. Eldridge, sternly. o
course ne gave me a check in deport
ment. I deserved dozen and tina
check ends the watch business, 70
there are no indulgences to offse
marks for bad conduct. The hardes
part is to tell Uncle Hamilton, but
must" And he did that very even
ing, which closed his uncle's visit.
Our boy did his best with no hop
of the watch, until his next MONTH,
report come.
'TThere is no check, Hail." said hi
mother. Department 100. Scholar
ship 99f. That is a fraction bette
than last month"
"Yes when I found my deport
ment perfect I was afraid Mr.. E.
bridge did not understand me tina