The Van Buren press., 1873-10-21

said. Perhaps you are not yet salts.
fed that am stronger than you
"Yes. In, satisfied" Jack answered.
{" amt Sc mean but what I'm willing to
own beat when IT'S done fair and square. y
Mr. Garrison, meanwhile was untyinR
his wrists. As he unweund the last coll,
he said
1.-THE forces Of law and order are what
rule the world. | think il yen fight
against them, you'll always bo likely To
find yourself on the losing side.
A great bitter wave os defiance swelled
up in Jacks heart not against Mr.. Gar
rison as an individual, hut against such
as hs--handsomc, graceful, cultured
against his eva hard lot. against pros.
perons world, against, it almost seemed,
God himself
"What do you know about it?' be
said, sullenly. lyon never had 90 -.as
| 1t was all on yonr side. God did it. liz
mace you handsome and strong, and had
You to 60 to school and college, and
grow up gentleman. And he made me
how the face daikened here =" what
you see. lie took my mother. who did
love me, and pray for me, away from me
when | wasn't more than three years old.
He gave me to father who drank hard,
and taught me nothing good And then
he took even him away from me, and
handed me over to Deacon Small; aud |
tell you, teacher, you.aacn't know what a
tough time is till you've summercd ana
wintered with Deacon Small. i,. set .
bad name, and who wonders and ] feel
like living up to it. | hadn't anything
against you, specially; but if I'd given
in peaceably to all your rules, the boys
would have said had grown chicken.
hearted, and little name for pluck is all
the name have got.
Mr. Garrison looked at him few mo-
meut's steadily. Then ne said
Z" 1t does seem as If fate had been hard
on you But do you know what l think
God has been doing for yon, in giving
You all these hard knocks ? for things
don't happen. God never lets go the
reins
The boy looked tho question he did
rot speak, and Mr.. Garrison went on.
Il think he has been making yon
strong, just as rowing against wind and
tide made my wrists strong, until now
you could fight all your enemies If you
would
The thing we are put here for, he
continued "is 10 do cur best and if we
are doing that in Gods sight, there is
nothing that can prevail against US; not
fate. or foes, or poverty, or any other
creature. There is nothing in all the
universe that is strong enough to stand
against soul that is bound to go mp and
not down, You may go home now.
1t was one Of Mr. Garris0n's merits
tina. ho knew when to stop. Jack Rams.
dale went home with that last sentence
ringing in his cars
4" There is nothing in all the universe
that is strong enough to stand against a
soul that is bound to 80 up aud not
down"
The words went with him all the rest
Of the day They lay down with him at
night, and he looked out Of his window
and fixed his eyes on a bright, far of
star, and thought of them.
What if he should turn all the strength
that was in him to going up and not
down? II he did right, who could make
hir, afraid? II he served willingly, he
need fear no master. 1t was very late,
and the star, obedient to the law which
rules the worlds, had marched far n,out
Of his sight, before he went to sleep. lie
had made resolve In the strength OF
that resolve he awoke to the new day.
II will not go down, he said 10 him
self; :" | will go up and on!
lie was not all at once transformed from
sinner to saint Such sudden changes do
not belong to this slow world But the
purpose and ain, of his life was changed.
Never again did he lose sight Of the shin
ing heights he meant to climb. If the
mother in tho heavenly home could look
down on the world below, she knew tina.
not in vain had she been "a praying wo.
man Te Mr. Garrison the boys do
votion was something wonderful--hum.
bic, loyal, faithful and never ceasing.
From being the teachers terror, Jack
had become tho teachers friend ---
Yootts' Companion