Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-08-16

,'SlkHt oMMY has go. the medal. :,
Avn Tommy has won the prize ~
s4N4 Screaming ont tile good news,
S@f p shouting, tanhltng over eacl
other, flingi: g up caps, and making
more coInmotion than would be the fair
share OF, ten boys. Tommy s three broth
ers burst iuto the sitting-room where
tifeir father and mother were" seated !!
After them came Tommy, grave and
silent, aud rather pale. .~.,-t! |
SO So you are successful, my son, Mr..
Amherst said cordially, shaking his
sons hand.
sc Yes" he said in low tone.
" am very glad, :" his mother said !
kissing him ''you have worked very
hard i-s,,,..... s.Ifa..ff .-s3,,
Tommy did not answer, only returned
his mothers kiss, and then went to his
own i'oom D. -. ~ l'''- -f'is
"Mamma,'' said Willie, the youngest
of the four Lads, I0mmy sion t seem
glad bit. He has not said a word all
the way home from school, ..--,...
&c would have been so proud il it was
me!' said BERTHE, the next day. "Thei
mesfiiiis splendid, and tits to have his
name engraved onone side."
g The best OF it all WAS the little
speech Mr.. Wilbur made,' said Harry
g He said -ipomm " had been one of his
best schslars allAth year, and that he
was proud of him, aud glad to bestow
on him Ills wel1-earned reward-well-
earned reward, those were his very
words" Hq siGsGs,u Il ~ 3-F6
GO l amsure Tommy has worked hard"
said Berthe, who cordially hated his les
sons. " Itconld never stick to chat ,lior-
rid old grammar and history and all the
rest Of the books as he has done.
90 Three cheers for Tommy Amherst,
the prize scholar shouted Harry.
g Come, let's go'skating.' 5,l .,. .l...s
And the three noisy, happy boys, hon.
estly rejoicing at their brothers Success,
ran eff Shouting Tom to join them 10
But Tommy did not answer. Hecwas
sitting'in his own room, his hands folded
idly in his lap, his face pale and tlOubl-
ed looking more like u boy who ex-
successful competitor flor the school
medal-the great object Of ambition for
all the Miiburll boys. The AFTERNOON
wore away; ard no ONE disturbed TOM
my. His parents supposed he was,skat-
ing with the other boys, all enjoying
the half-holiday that followed the eX-
summation, and his brothers thought he
was talking over the geeI news at home.
;.sIt Mas quite dusk. almost tea+tii,ie,
when Mr.Amllerst, sitting in the library,
thinking he nilst have a, light to finish
his book, heard a soft step Oh the9earpet,
and looking ops saw Tommy Upon
his face were traces s0f;recentftears, and
he was SO, l,ale1anil snbdued that his
father knew there must be1sDmethiAg g
very wrong with his seheefinl, bright boy.
-ltt Eather,"h he said in o low lyoice, fif
YOU ;tre ,ndtivery busy, will yon go tn
,ts,x ~, at
before lie has the aesial mar kel with
my liaIiie; ean't bear is,'' cried the hoy,
bursting into passion of crying, 8
can t beatr to he cheat whole yeartr'
Mr.. iAmherst drew the sobbings boy
into aiis .arns, and did not question him
until he had gained his compOsure once
more. Then he said, kindly and gently:
"a" Now tell ME all about ir, my son. -
IH 1t WAS Il month .ago, p said Tommy,
hanably. ".Me were all late in school,
| trying to do some new problem in ge-
ometry--all our class mean-in the reci-
tatiolf room, and Mr. iWflber sent me to
his desk after a new piece of chalk. !
was shutting it down, When my, elbow.
Knocked, against his portfolio on the
desk, and it fell down. All the papers
| dropped out, and thetvery top one Was
| the list of examination questions. ]
did not tire:n to. read ft,fathei', hut !
| picked up the papers, and saw then,
| all. indeed, [ triedto forget them; bat
I never renIetdbered L lesson ] learned
so well as remembered those questions,
| saw only for a minnie or two. All the
month 1 Ithonght Of them, though [ am
sure ] could have passed the eXamina-
tioir without looking anthem" ~
"Are you qnite snre of that, Tommy? 90
/" Yes. But did see the questions
father, and should have gone ut once
and told Mr.. Wilbur / had seen them
| never realized how wrong it was nntil
this inorning, when he praised me So
praised me for punctnalfty, obedience
and general good conduct, as well as
good scholarship, and felr all the time
as If he hahl ought to poihtm me out to the
whole school AS a cheat. must tell hin
now. cont keep the medal whole
year, when perhaps would never have
won il If had not seen tfIUse questions.
"Yes,my son, yosi must tell Mr.. vii
bur. Our heavenly Father eXacts coll
fession as the first proof Of repentanc,
for amy sin. l will go,with you at once. >
Mr.. Wilbur listened very gravely a
Tommy's confession, and sat silent
long time before he spoke. Then b,
said: ~. -.---, 1'.s -s .ev,a
elf / had discovered this myself
Tommy, / should merely take the media
from you, explaining the matter to tn,
school, and give the prize to the mex
best scholar; but you have tried to atom,
for your fault, and l VIM Keep the afai
, seeret between us three. Sill yol
must see that, i'm Justice TO the othe
! scholars, cannot let the matter. stan,
! as it is. You have been my best schola
! thfs year, SO l viii give you one NOR
chance to win the medal fairly, and Il
! the same time, give the other boys al
opportunity to beat you if they are able
Next week l will have another eXami
nation, and will Keep tile list of ques
: tiens understricter care. My boy. - n
; added, earnestly, taking Tounlny's ham
, in his own, swhether you lose or vii
: the prize, shall always respect you TO
this evenings work.
The boys wondered, and more tina,
one gru,nbled, when Mr.. Wilbur an
nouneed that, owing to a recently dis
covered irregularity in the last exami
nation, there woald be another one til
following week, witt, a new list OF ques
. tionS. ,.+.. -r4.,-f.s.. d., ..r....,.l. .,Fl
Tommy studied hard, and honestl
: won the prize, greatly TO the delight {
bis. brothers, and the gratiiieationlef hl
father and teachef.u snsg,i.ty.i r,E..-
/ Yet, while to- ethers the ,sold med;
? was proud badge Of honor. to Toma,
Z it was a. constant, reminder of the SUI
fering he endured and the deep humi
iatioE he experienced when he, allowe
!, deceit to govern him, even for a lnoptl
y In after years, when he became u nobl
!. upright man, he would often say tn,
the prize medal Was one of his most va
uahle assistants in that education of Il
soul that teaches Us to keep the hea