The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-03-29

aIlO that I6COIQ III sdnu WAS I dSt WdSu-
ing out under the waves of happiness
that were sweeping over it now.
The visitors were given the highest
seats of honor, and as soon as Mr.. Wal
ters' speech was finished he introduced
them to the school. The middle-aged
man turned out to be prodigious per-
sonage-no less one than the county
judge-altough the most august
creation these children had ever looked
upon-and they wondered what kind
Of material he was made of-and they
half wanted to hear him roar, and
were half afraid he might, too. He
was from Oonstantinople, twelve miles
away-so be had travelled and seen
the world-these very eyes had looked
upon the country court house-which
was said to have tin roof. The awe
which these reflections inspired WAS at
tested by the impressive silence and
the ranks of staring eyes. This was the
great Judge Thatcher, brother of their
own lawyer. JEFF Thatcher imm ediate-
ly went forward to be familiar with the
great man and be envied by the school.
1t would have been music to his soul
to hear the whisperings.
| look at him, Jim He's going up
there. Say-look ! he's a going to
shake hands with him-he is shaking
hands with him ! By jinga, don't you
wish you was jeff"
Mr.. Walters fell to "shewing off,"
with all sorts Of official 5ustlin, and &C
tivi'ies, giving orders, delivering judg-
ments, discnarging directions here,
there, everywhere that he could fad a
target. The librarian Showed off,
running hither and thither with bis
arms full Of books, and making deal
Of the splitter and fuss that insect au-
thority delights In. Tue young lady
teachers showed OF" offending swee city
over pupils that were lately being
boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at
bad little boys and patting good ones
lovingly. The young gentleman teach
ers showed off" with small scolding,
and other little displays of authority
and fine attention to discipline-and
most of the teachers of both sexes
found business up at the library, by
the pulpit; and it was business that
frequently had to pe done over again
two or three times with much seeming
ve1ation). The little girls Showed
off, in various ways, and the little BOYS
"showed of" with such diligence that
the air was thick with paper wads and
the murmur of scutliings. And above
it all the great man sat and beamed
majestic judicial smile upon all the
house, and warmed himself in the sun
of his own grandeur-for he was
Showing off," too.
There was one thing wanting to
make Mr.. Walters ecstasy complete,
and that was a chance to deliver
Bible prize and exhibit prodigy. Sew
eral pupils had few yellow tickets.
but none had enough-he had been
around among the star pupils inquir-
ing. He would have given worlds,
now, to have that German lad back
again with \ sound mind.
And now at this moment, when hope
was dead, Tom Sawyer came forward
with nine yellow tickets, nine red tick
cts and the blue ones, and demanded
Bible. This was thunderbolt out of
clear sky, Walters was not expect
ing an application from this source for
the next ten years. But there was no
getting around there were the certi-
fed checks, and they were good for
their face. Tom was therefore elevated
TO a place with the judge and the other
elect, ana the great news was announc.
ed from headquarters. 1t was the
most stunning surprise of the decade
and so profound was the sensation that
it lifted the new hero up to the judicial
ones altitude, and the school had two
marvels to gaze upon instead Of one.
The boys were all eaten up with envy
but those that suffered the bitterest
pangs were those who preceived too
late that they themselves had contrib
uted to this hated splendor by trading
tickets to Tom for the wealth he had |
amassed in selling whitewashing priv
ileges. These despised themselves as
being the dupes of a willy fraud-a |
guileful snake in the grass
The prize was delivered to Tom with |
as much ettusion as the superintend.
ent could pump up under the circum-
stances; but it lacked somewhat of the |
true gush, for the poor fellows instinct
taught him there was mystery here
that could not we'll bear the light, per-
haps; it was simply preposterous that
this boy had warehoused two thousand
sheaves of scriptural wisdom on his
PREMISES dozen would strain his ca
pacity without doubt.
Amy Lawrence was proud and glad,
and she tried TO make Tom see it in |
her face-but he wouldn't look. She
wondered; then she was just grain
troubled; next dim suspicion came
and went-came again; she watched
a furtive glance told her worlds and |
then her heart broke, and she was
jealous and angry and the tears came
and she hated everybody. Tom |
most Of all she thought).
Tom was introduced to the Judge;
bnt his tongue was tied, his breath |
would hardly come, his heart quaked |
partly because of the awful greatness
Of the man, but mainly because he
was her parent. He would have liked
to fall down and worship him, if it
were in the dark. The Judge put his
hand on Toms head and called him a
fine little man, and asked him what his
name WAS. The boy stammered, gasp
ed and got it OUT
"Tom."
cob, no: not Tom-it is"
Thomas"
"Ah, that's it. l thought there was
lore to it, maybe. That's very well.
But you've another one, l dare say,
and you'll tell it to me, won't YOU"
Tell the gentleman your other
name, Thomas" said Walters. "And
say, sir-you mustn't forget your man.
ners."
Thomas Sawyer-sir.'
"That's it That's good boy.
Fine boy. Fine, manly little fellow.
Two thousand verses is great many
very, very great many. And you never
can be sorry for the trouble you took
to learn them; for knowledge is worth |
more than anything there is in the
world; lis what makes great men and |
good men; you'll be great man and a
good man yourself, some day, Thomas,
snd then you'll look back and cay, it's
all owing to the good superintendent,
who encouraged me and watched over
me. and gave me beautiful Bible, to
Keen and have IL all for my owp |