Litchfield enquirer., 1873-01-02
t he would be reported at the family

l room. The dropping of pm could havP
 been heard in any part of it, for, while the whole school disiked, Andrews, his arrogance had impressed them, and they felt that he would be hard boy to deal with. watched alternately the accused, and trembled in every nerve to see the passion depicted on the face of the latter.
 His face became pale at first-deathly 1 pale-then ivid and pinched-and then it burned with hot flame of shame and anger. He sat as if he were expecting the roof to fall, and were bracing himself to resist the shock.
 When Tom took his seat Andrews lean- ed toward him and muttered something in his ear.
 "What does he say to you, Tom }" in qulred Mir. Bird.
 "He says he'll fog me for telling" aa- swered Tom.
 ''We will attend to that" said Mr. Bird. But first let us hear from others about this matter. Has any other boy heard this foul language? Henry Hulm, can you tell us anything?
 Henry was another boy who always told the truth; and Henry's testimony was quite as positive as Toms, though it was given with even more reluctance. Other boys testified in confirmation of the report of Tom and Henry, until, in the opinion of the school Andrews was shame fully guilty of the matter charged upon him. l was quite ignorant Of the real character of the offense, and wondered whether his calling Miss Butler duck was in the line of his sin, and whether my testimony to the fact was called for. No absurdity, such as this would have been, broke in upon the earnest solemni- ty ofthe occasion, however, and the house was silent until Mir. Bird said:
 "What have you to say for yourself, Andrews? The boy was no whit humbled. Re- venge was in his heart and defiance in his l eye. He looked MT. Bird boldly in the face; his lips trembled, but he made no reply:
 were this time, and rang like trumpet Andrew bit his lips, and blurted out: II think 1t IS mean for one boy to tell on an other"
 ''I don't, responded MT. Bird; ''but Hi tell you what is mean: it Is mean for one boy to pollute another-to fill his mind with words and thoughts that make him mean; and ] should be sorry to believe that have any other boy in school who 1 10 AAc%AA eso A4CAl dbo you dAC II G11SIS IS l anything to be said about mean boys, you are not the boy to say it.
 At first, confess that l was quite inclin- ed to sympathize with the lad in his view of the dishon9r of {" telling on" boy, not withstanding my old grudge; but my judgment went with the majority at last.
 Mir. Bird said that, as there were sever | al new boys in the school, 1t would be hnSt Tlarhana tn fo1I { oe reporting one another's bad conduct to him and to the school.
 "When boys first come here" said MT. Bird, they invariably have those false notions of honor which lead them to cov- CT up all the wrong-doings of their mates; l but they lose them just as soon as they find themselves responsible for the good order of our little community. Now we l are all citizens of ytlis little town of Hills. borough, in which we live. We have our town authorities and our magistrate, and we are all interested in the good order Of tine village. Suppose man should come here to live who is in the habit ofrobbing l hen-roosts, or setting barns on fire, or get ting drunk and beating his wife and child ren: is it a matter of honor among those citizens who behave themselves properly l to shield him in his crimes, and refrain from speaking of him to the authorities? | Why, the thing is absurd. AS good citi- zens-as honorable citizens-we mnst re- port this man, for he is public enemy. He IS not only dangerous tu us, but he is disgrace to us. So long as he Is permit 1 ted to live among us, unreproved and un- corrected, every man in the community familiar with his misdeeds is, to certain extent, responsible for them. Very we'll {: hox 1,, &bsa If you can learn to govern yourselves here, der and welfare of the school, you will be- come good citizens, prepared to perform | the duties of good citizenship. I really know of nothing more demoralizing to a l boy, or more ruinous to school. than 1 that false sense of honor which leads to l the covering up of one another's faults Of l conduct"
 MT. Bird paused, and, fixing his eye up- 1 on Andrews, who had not once taken his | eye from him, resumed; "Now here is a lad who has come to us from a good fami- ly; and they have sent him here to get him away from bad influences md bad com panions. He comes into community of boys who are trying to lead good lives, and instead of adopting the spirit of the school, and trying to become one with us. he still holds the spirit of the bad com panlons of his previous life, and goes per sistently to work to make all around him as impure and base as himself Nearly all these boys have mothers and sisters. who | would be pained almost to distraction to learn that here, upon these pure hills. they are drinking in social poison with every breath. How am to guard you from this evil if do not know of it? How can protect yor from harm if you shield the boy who harms you? There is no mischief of which boy is capable that will not breed among you like pestilence if you cover it; and instead of sending you back to your homes at last with healthy bodies and healthy minds and pure spirits. shall be obliged, with shame and tears, to return you soiled and spotted and dis eased. Is 1t honorable to protect crime? Is 1t honorable to shield one who dishon- ors and damages you? Is 1t honorah'a to disappoint your parents and to che me? Is 1t honorable to permit these dear little fellows to be spoiled, when the wicked lad who is spelling them is allowed to 20 free of arrest and conviction?
 Of course cannot pretend to produce the exact words in which Mr. Bird cloth ed his little argumentative address. I was too young at the time to do more 1 than apprehend the meaning of it; and the words that I give are mainly remem- l bered from repetitions of the same argu- ment in the years that followed. The ar gument and the lesson, however, in their substance and practical bearings, re- member perfectlye Continuing to speak, and releasing An drews from his regard for moment, MT. Bird said; sI want vote on this ques- tion. desire that you all vote with per feet freedom. If you are not thorougly convinced that I am right in this ma ter, wish you to vote against me. Now ali those boys who believe 1t to be an honor ! able thing to report the persistently bad conduct of schoolmate will rise and stand"
 Every boy except Andrews rose, and with head erect stood squarely upon his feet. The culprit looked from side to side with sheer upon his lip, that hard oYod into &ho n11 o,r1 of