Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1876-12-30
NOBODY BUT SAM WELDON.
BY AVE NIX.

That was the answer given to the new
teachers Interrogation in regard to boy
who stood leaning against tree on the
outer edge of the playground.
..NobOdy but Sam Weldon and pref
~ Dell Casey tossed back her bright
curls with scornful smile on her lips.
"Why do you speak in that way, Del
LAP" qneried the teacher; Il don't un-
derstand."
why. that's what everybody says"
answered Dell; '.his father makes gar
dens for people, and his mother acts queer.
Sans good enough, L s'pose, but he amt
nobody"
The teacher sighed, but did not repri-
mand her pupil for her manner OF speak
ing, rightly guessing that she had heard
the expression from older lips.
The despised Sam Weldon was boy
of perhaps thirteen years of age, rather
tall of his age, and dressed somewhat
STABILITY. He had u bright, gOod-natured
face. honest blue eyes, very light hair
combed back from a high, intellectual
forehead, and tender, sensitive mouth.
Just now he was watching a game OF
ball with look Of keen bOyish interest,
and his face thus lighted was anything
but disagreeable.
ever, with watching a game from which
he was excluded, SO turning away he en-
tered the school room and sought 10
while away the time of intermission by
q little extra study.
While he sat there puzzling over a
knotty example, little brown eyed Mag
gle Bright, the youngest scholar in
school, came up to him shyly and laid
tinv bunch Of white flowers on his desk,
then laying one hand on his arm and
looking lovingly into his face, she whis-
pered:
II like you, Sam Weldon, if the rest
don't | think you are the best boy in
school,"
"For moment the sensitive mouth
quivered, the big blue eyes were full of
toars, and then giving her genuine, en-
thusiastic boy hug, he answered:
II think you are the best little girl in
the world, and I'm going to wear these
flowers in my buttonhole."
Then they fell to talking about flowers.
Sam said he would like to get some wild
violets for his mother, and Maggie knew
just where lots of them grew, so off they
started together to gather some.
After that Sam Weldon, the nobody,
and little Maggie Bright, the child of the
widow who lived in the little white cot
tage near the schoolnouse, became great
friends.
They laughed and chatted at recess and.
at noon times, and when it was rainy or
muddy Sam oftentimes brought Maggie |
to school on bis shoulders. In the winter
season Sam sawed wood for the widow |
and shoveled the snow from her door
steps, and as she was poor he always re-
fused to take any pay, SO it came TO pBss
after while that Mrs. Bright and little
Maggie were Sans best friends.
Three years went by and Sam was six
teen. He worked out among the farm
ers i'm the summer. and in the winter at
tended the academy in neighboring
village. The country people near Sans
house still sneered at him and called him
nobody, but Sam went whistling and
singing on his way, bearing them no i'll
VIII, and owning too large a stock OF
sunshine and good nature i'm his own
heart to allow their sneers to make him
very unhappy.
The teachers of the academy spoke
very eneouragingly of his future. and
when at twenty he graduated from this
school they offered him situation as
teacher In one department, at very good
salary.
Sam acccpte the situation, and still
boarding at home walked his two miles
every day.
The people still sneered and said
among themselves:
"Oh, he's nobody but Sam Weldon;
he'll never amount to anything, if he
does put on airs
And Sam worked all the harder and
smiled the brighter. Maggie Bright,
now fourteen, was one Of his best pupils,
and he took great deal Of pains to help
her In all her studies. She liked to hear [
him talk in his enthusiastic way about