Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-10-25

deal more to blame than he is, dontt'
want him punished. | didn't know he
had such hard times. I'll ask mother
to give him some stockings"
Mr.. Willet was pleased to ,hear-hcr
say what shegdid. And hewas equally
gratified to discover from the cOunte-
nances OF, the other scholars, that the
tide of feelings had turned in Beh's fa-
vor. Now, he could get along without
promising his own dignity. He would
not have punished him. had they ffeltl
otherwise, for he sincerely pitied Ben
after hearing his story. He was salts
fed that he had been more sinned against
that SHINING. But ne liked to have his
pupils justifyyhim in all II that he ydid-Dt
He said 70 Ben: E&ES - ~ w
'sIt would have been better if you had
told us how you were situated, before"
81 should a. done it," Ben honestly |
replied, fsIfs I'd ttelt free tool butyyou /
never seemed to like to have me come
near you, nor say much to you, and I
couldn't git UP the courage. I've wish
ed a great many times | could tell you |
why l was so poor scholar. Pm never |
allowed to spend minutes time with |
books ont Of school in my life, only a |
few months in the winter; and cause l
han't hail no chance to look over. my |
lessons Between schools, I'd almost for |
get from one winter to another what |
little I had learped, and SO haInt never |
made much headway.
Mr.. Willet felt keenly rebuked for
having treated the p0oF, ffprlorn boy, in
such disdainful and neglected manner.
How puch he had needed the sympathy
OF hisF teachers He inwardly resolved
that he would do AZ he could the re-
mainder of the term to help and eneour-
age him. lie spoke to the scholars, with
| less precision and far more earnestness
than was his custom, in regard to treat
ing each other kindly and justly, and
cautioned them against naughty, over
Ees Ia lhs firpl stakd she hsd 7sken
I against oppression. And, as a matter
Of course, he gave Ben short, stereO-
typed lecture In, regard to indulging ind
bursts of temper, hurting scholars, and
using profane language, under any Cir
cumstances; but he.closed his remarks
by speaking kind and cheering words to
him. ss9s@ f1teE
Ben went home from school that night
feeling happier than lie had at any time
he wondsrsd 4. shss kneAs sh L IEilE tax
en- place that afternoon in the little red
lscheol lRolIss Hpder tire hfi:1 He rather
]thohe efe-elie aid, assd 4taddedsto his hap
piness. Let him have all the comfort
he can get from believing it. But who
can say that she did know? or who can
say that she did not?
1t so happened that it was Ben's turn
to sssf sss tas sas
surprised to see him pass a full hour
earlier than the scholars usually went
for that purpose. He marveled at Dun
bars letting lhimH offs early from his
work. Something unusual must have
taken place there also. Had he looked
in upon Ben after he entered the school
room, he would have seen MIN hurrying
as though he feared he were late. The
lmomef1t the smoke came up so dense
through the sticks as to warrent that a
blaze would soon follow, he picked up
some pieces of paper that were lying on
3tbe sfeofs{ rubbed the saaW rffoM his
a Hands as we'll AZ he coshd, and staking
his writing-book- from under the desk,
IIlaas, Itholgh HIS kfe lde6ended Iiinon get
ting just so much done in a given time.
In short time he had one page written
over; but it was evident that he had not
-itried to initiate the copy at the bead Of
1.-The page.IH ertl ou- -the ueaf, -fead it
over aloud to himself, erased some
4
! having corrected and improved IT 30 the
j best of his. ability, he copied it as neatly
1 as he could OIL another leaf.. y He CLAN eed
, oecasionally out OF the windows, to see
II if the scholars were coming3 but no one
| appeared till he had written the last
Il word and cut'the leaf from athe book
4 He folded it carefully, and put, Il in his
vest pocket, and hastily picked up w bat
few books he had. Het stood with his
,lo ~, Sc he Eod tnp
of it, when Mr.. Willet and some Of, the
scholars entered "a a Mary Lee was one Of
sWlG, e@ ,sare YOU koing home
\ Aren't you coming to school any more %
Il exclaimed several . Of sthe. ehoIars al
! sonoe.ss And Mr. w illet said a. little
.slquickero than he usually " spoke. &c 8 Are
you going to leave u.s., Benjamin?i
Thought our difficulties were all AMIGA.
bly, settled, yesterday. 4 =
l.,Tain't ON account of any difficulty
a spSsSs S about yesterday, @ is iiviS, and f he
come to Mr. Dunbar's last night. He
lives out west. He, says he has been
writin' and 'tryin" for three or -four
years to hear somethin' from us; and, al
last, ne made ap hishmind he woalt
come himself and hunt till he found US
or heard sometfiin' about lis, il he Wen
all over New England. He felt awfully
when he heard my mother was dead /
He han't' got no son, and he's goin' fte
adopt ME, 20 He's gone esup., to the city to.
day, to get me some new clothes.
should like to come here to school very
well, now, if he hadn't come for me. ,
The scholars, seemed pleased at hi
good fortune, and said that they hopeC
It he would have good times NOW. An(
one of the elder boys faeetiously said
.'It must pome hard On you to leave ole
Dunbar's?" s.,,isa ,.aissaa.is %
think some of you boys had better lie
the s'iectmen know f'm goin'. The!
may want to Bind ont another boy
there, p he added, looking eeomically pl
his patched ana soiled garments. "Fin'
chance for some poor boy to step int,
my clothes, boots and bed, 'Twould b
good idea, though, for the s'lectmei
to send him a box, Of bed-bug p'son
W fore real warm weather comes. Caus
if he's one of the nervous kind. he won
I' sleep much ifIthey DON'T I9never thinl
rt in hot weather, of going to, sleep witt
both eyes to once.odI shouldedhe afrai'
there wouldn't be anything left of m
fore light if / did."I +
nd The ,snllen, dissatisfied, downcas
looks he had worn all winter, had lef
him, and heo spoke so cheerfully, an
looked so Frightened anu hopefui, tn
scholars thought he was a pretty good
looking boy, In spite of his sandy hair
and freckletl-faee. g -sis 50 s9.e ~
In the hustle attending the scholar
coming in and taking their. places as
drew near time to open the niorlnninP niolnii
session, Ben managed to take from hi
me pocket the folded sheet which he ha
cut fromlhis' writing-book, and give 4
le- to Mary Lee, any othe
scholar. She slyly slipped it into he
dress pocket. and did not venture I
take it out till she wentto her room thF
b. i night. ii, She was q bashful girl, nOtwitf
:: standing she was SO brave in speakin
when she. thopght the, truth demande
~ it; and she shrunk from the jokes sl
| knewIthe scholars would get. off at he
/ i expense, II. they, should find out ths
| ID Ben had written her a letter. But sh
! IFS twenty years older now, than she wa
| then, and it will not trouble her at a
! m have others read it, The if0IlOWin