American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-07-25

Grace" said Jack Il thought may be
you'd like to criticise it IA little this even
ing It's a story,'
. y story, is Y" said Miss Grace smil-
ing. We'll, since you are here, and are
more familiar with it than am, suppose
you read it to me"
That was just what Jack wanted to do.
He drew nearer the light.
THE name of it is The Beautiful Res
cuer,'" said he, his heart beginning to
beat considerably quicker than usual.
$50 on" said Miss Grace, -cncourag-
ingly, turning her head to Gee what kept
the boy puckcring and frowning SO long
| over his manuscript.
The fact was, Jacks handwriting was
somewhat of the "pot- hook character,
| and he could hardly read it himself.
Finally he cleared his voice and began:
| There was man who had a CRATE menny
| cnncmys His name was Agustuss derwent.
| One day as he went to take walk on the
| ralcroad track, he swung his cane and cnoid
| the bammy breeze and two other men which
jumped out from pile of rocks and nocked
| him down.
| They gagged his hands and feet, and lade
him acrost the track and tide him tite to the
| ralcs with ropes big my two arms, and
when they herd the express train coming they
| lit out for the woods.
Now there was a high stone wall about tire
feet thick, beside the Track, and a Beautiful
young Lady was walking on the other side OF
it. She pccpcd thrOo a little crack and saw a
Gentleman fastened to the ralcs and the train
a coming at litening speed. So she did not
know what to do, but she got rock and
broke a hole through the wall and crcpt
through
The COW -kctchcr of the express tranc was
now right up to mister Derwents head, but
she pulled out her pen-knife and cut him
louise, and pulled him of just as the train
whiZd by!
When he come to he thanked the young
Lady for saving his life, and asked Her if he
should see her home for fear of the Indians.
"Wee, Silvcr-plate," replied the young Lady
who was Frcnchman- So they walked
piece when she told him she saw hominy on
a shovel which was her father and he would
90 the rest of the way with her. Agustuss
dcrwent then married the young Lady, who
he called his Beautiful Rescucr.
Her name was Il MelIa.
There was short pause, and, getting
no response, Jack hemmed and coughed
to signify that he had read all he had
written. Miss Grace had stopped her
sewing and was bending toward the crate,
shaking quietly; though why she shook
Jack couldn't imagine.
Jack, dear" she said, presently, in a
strange voice, did you ever read Baron
Munchauscn?"
No, ma'am"
"The book is there on the table. Sup
pose you take it up while l look your es-
say over"
Accordingly Jack took the book and
began to read. Soon he looked up with
a comical mixture of Indignation. and
amusement on his face. Miss Grace's
meaning in setting him to study the Baron
had dawned upon him.
"Gracious," said Jack, "can't he tell
big ones?"
He read a little farther, and laid the
book down Il wish / hadn't written
story. But I've read lots of newspaper
ones most as bad this mans" His
teacher remained silent.
"Say, Miss Grace" cried Jack, starting
toward her suddenly, let me write some
thing else. l believe l don't like my
story"
"Very well; you may write another
composition while sitting here with me,
if you like. There are pencils and paper
in the drawer"
So, making her his muse this time, and
forgetting all about "Jay-hawker Bill"
he wrote an essay on Truth" which Miss
Grace thought would do very well (when
the spelling, etc, was cOrrected). he
read it to her, sitting on footstooi at
her feet Jack was only eleven, but Miss
Grace told him boy of eleven ought tie
think independently, and NEVER let his
mind get poisoned by the wretched style
and matter of such story papers as the
New York Thunder Clap. This is Jacks
second composition:
TRUTH.
Truth is when you don't tell lie l some
times miss the truth, which is a Falsehood.
1t is rong to tell false Hoods. 1t makes
fellow mean and small. The biggest Tyre
ever heard of was Baron Munchausen (Jack
h I'D copied the hard word very carefully out
of the book. He sed he tide his horse to
stick when the was deep and in the morn
ing when the snow melted he found it was to
the church steeple, there the Horse hung
till he shot the Bridal in two and let him
drop.
Many stories which is printed is lie and are
not the truth; not because they are not true,
but because they are not like Life, and teach
People harm.
/ wrote story oncet but | was ashamed OF
it, I mean to stick to the truth the rest of my
life. JACK Smith.
-Youth's Companion.