Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-03
Character.

a. HrsHSe.
Well, boys and girls, how is it? Have
you been thinking a little more than usual
the past week, and have you been little
more careful about the material You are
using for this building of yours hope
you have. And now, let me tell you a story
about IT,
Years ago taught school in a neighbor.
ing state.
Sixty just such boys and girls as you
were under my care.
used to think great deal Of what they
would do aud be when they were men and
women, for knew that each day was decid-
ing the question, though they did not al ways
know it.
Sometimes would join in their plays at
recess, because they thought they never had
quite so good a time as when their teacher
was with them and because their teacher
never had quite so good an opportunity Of
doing them good. Amongst other games,
that | found the boys enjoyed very much,
was marbles. You could always tell when
the spring Of the year had come, by seeing
the boys in groups Of two, three, four or
more, all over the playground, and on the
sidewalks with their bags of marbles. And
how beautiful some Of those agates We're,
and how much pride those boys would take
in getting the very handsomest ones possi-
BILE to show TO the other boys less favored
than they. But what did it mean when
saw the sober faces, and the tears, aud the
shake Of the head, and the threatening
looks, and all those signs which show that
something is wrong Oh, boys, only think,
! found out that my boys played marbles 81 in
earnestl" Perhaps you don't know what
that is wish you didn't. But some Of
those beautiful agates had changed hands,
and that accounted for the sober faces with
some, and the threatening looks of others,
which seemed to betoken some unknown
bad which might possibly befall the boy
who had possession Of his marbles.
This troubled me very much, and l
thought and thought about it, trying to de-
wise the best way of stopping this evil.
Finally, | hit upon this plan--I had long
talk with them, telling them what it was to
play marbles in earnest" and what it
might lead them to. Then I told them
had written out pledge; not temperance
pledge, but one that would be worth great
deal to them, if kept. have the paper be-
fore me now; it reads thus
"In signing my name to this paper, do promise
that I will never, on any condition. play marbles
In earnest, knowing that il may give me a love for
the great sin Of gambling
knew that the boys in the seven other
schools in the building would be a tempta-
ton to them, and l gave them one day to
think it over, and talk it over amongst
themselyes-because, YOU know, if they
signed their names to it they must keep it.
Wei, it made quite a stir among the boys
OF course, it did not affect the girls so
much, because they did not play marbles.
felt anxious the next day to know what was
to become of the pledge. They were to
keep the paper through the day, and at
night | was to take it and keep it. won
der if those boys know | have it now, and
shau Always nave IT, l count the names on
1t and ma nave twenty-iour' l think
there were thirty boys IN the sehool'
WI as II stone worm putting INTO their
building when they signed their names to
that paper
a year or TWO ago Wheh went to make a
NiSit III that sell same clty' had occasion
TO SO to large Doot ana shoe store As
entered noticed me young man coming
towards me- ana as ne TOOK my hand very
cordlalIy' wondered VINO II could be- II
am very giad TO see you, ana as he saw my
aslohished iace-he said "hy, don't you