Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-09-18
NUMBER 80.

derly and obedient. | won't require from
you anything unreasonable, and | don't
! intend to be severe with YOU But what
ever l tell you, has to be done, and shall be
done, sooner or later Here l observed
on one or two faces, a smile that looked
like lncredulity; but all l added, was
You'll save time if you do it at once"
/ My lessons, often oral, interested them,
and things went on quietly for a few days.
/ knew the crisis would come. 1t did, in
this wise 1t was May, the thermometer
| ranging toward ninety, and | resolved to
| take the class TO bathe in the Wabash,
much to their delight l told them, in adj
vance, that by the doctors advice they
were TO remain in the water fifteen min
utes orly; that was the rule. When l
called. "Time upr' they all came out
somewhat reluctantly, however-eXcept
one tall fellow, named Ben, good swim
mer. who detained us ten minutes more,
notwiths Standing my order, several times
repeated, to come on shore.
| said nothing about it till we returned
| to the school-room; then | asked the class,
"Do you repember my saying to you that
whatever told You to do had to be done
sooner or later?" They looked at Ben,
and said eyes" Then l went on; II am
determined that if take you to hathe
again. YOU shall stay in fifteen minutes
only. How do you think had best man
age that?" They looked at Ben again,
and seemed puzzled, never, very surely,
having been asked such a question before
"Has no one any plang" | said.
At length a youngster suggested, u
guess you'd best thrash him, Mr.. Owen"
81 don't wish to do that" l replied, II
think it does boys harm. Besides never
! Il. 7 w
anybody, and l know it must be very
unpleasant thing to do. Can't some OF
you think of better plan"
One Of the class suggested: There's
| closet in the garret, with small bolt to
it. You might shut him up there till we
get back"
THAT is better than fogging; but is the
| closet dark ?'
cts dark as hell"
| "You mustn't talk so, my child. You
can't tell whether there is such place as
! hell at ALL You mean that the closet Is
quite dark, don't you"
| Eyes"
"Then you ought to say So But think
Ben would not like to be shut up in the
| dark for nearly an hour"
NO; but then zoe don't like TO be Kept
from bathing just for him."
Then one little fellow, with some hest
tation, put in his word: please, Mr..
Owen, wouldn't it do to leave him in the
playgroundy
If | could be sure that he would stay
there; but he might get out and go bath
ing, and remain in half an hour perhaps"
At this point, Ben, no longer able to re-
strain himself-he had been getting more
and more restless, turning first to one
speaker, then to another, as we coolly dis
cussed has case-burst forth: "Mr. Owen,
| if you'll leave me in the playground when
they 90 to bathe next time, III never stir
from it, | won't. You'll see | won't"
"Well, Ben" said |, "l've never known
you to tell a falsehoOu, and I'll take your
word for it this time. But remember! If
you lie to me once, / shall never be able
to trust you again. We couldn't believe
known liars if we were totry."
So the next time we went bathing, left
Ben in the play ground. When we return
ed he met me, with eager face, at the gate.
Owe never left even for minute; ask
tt EN- if l have" pointing to some boys at
play.
! Your word is enough. | believe you"
Thereafter Ben came out of the water
promptly as soon as time was called; and
whenever any of his comrades fingered,
! he was the first to chide them for disObey
/ ing orders