Omaha daily bee., 1877-04-02
THE OMAHA BEE.
TON "a YER.
How He Won q Prize Bible at sun
day School.

BY A TWAIN.
Sabbath-school hours were from 8
Gatil hslf-past 10 and then church
service. Two OF the children always
remained for the sermon voluntarily
and the Others always remained too
for stronger reasons. The church's
high = backed = uncushioned pews
would seat about 800 persons /;
the edifce was but a small, plain
affair, with a sort OF pine-board tree
box on 1t for a steeple. At the door
Tom dropped back q step and accost.
Ell q Sunday-dressed comrade:
"Say, Billy, got a yaller ticket ?"
"Yes.n
"What'u you take fo- her ?"
"What'n you give ?"
"Piece OF Hckerish and q fish
hook"
"Less Vel 'sm."
Tom exhibited. They e salts
factory and the property changed.
hands Then tTom traded a couple
OF white alleys for three red tickets
and some Ql6e or other for q couple
OF blue ones. He waylald other
boys as they came, and went on
buying tickets Of various colors ten
or fifteen minutes longer. He en-.
tered the church now with q swarm
of clean and noisy boys and girls,
proceeded to bis seat and started a
quarrel with the first boy that came
handy. The teacher, a grave elder.
ly man, interferred; then turned
his back a moment and Tom pulled
a boys hair in the next bench, and
was absorbed in his book when the
boy turned around; stuck a pin In
another boy, presently, In order to
hear him say "Ouch ~ and got q
e reprimand from his teacher.
TOMS whole class were of a pattern
restless, noisy and troublesome.
When they came TO recite their
lessons, not Il OF them knew his
verses perfectly, but had to be
prompted all along. However, they
worried through, and each got his
reward in small blue tickets each
with a passage OF Scripture on 1t;
each blue ticket was pey for two
verses Of the recitation Ten blue
tickets .equalled a red one, and could
be exchanged for it; ten red tickets
eQualled a yellow one for ten vel.
low tickets the superintendent gave
a very plainly bound Bible (worth
forty cents In those easy times) to
the pupil. How many OF my read.
ers would have the industry aud
application TO memorize 1000 verses.
even for a Dore Bible? End vet
Mary had acquired ITO Bibles in
this way-it was tie patient work
or TWO years--ai>d a boy of German
pareutage had eon four or five. He
once reclter.t, 1900 verses without
sfoppiogy but the STRAIN upon his
men.Al faculties was too great, and
ne was little better than an idiot
6om that dsy forth-a grievous mis-.
fortune for the school, for on great
occasions, before company, the
superintendent (as Tom express
sed IT'D had always made this boy
come ouu and "spread himself"
Only the older Pupils managed TO
keep their tickets and stick to their
tedious work long enough to get a
bible, and So the delivery Of one of
those prizes was q rare, noteworthy
circumstance; the successful pupil
was so great and conspicuous for
that day that on the very spot every
scholars heart was fired with q fresh
ambition that often lasted q couple
of weeks. Il is possible that Toms
mental stomach had never really
hungered for one of those prizes but
unquestionably his entire being had
for many day longed for the glory
and eclat that came with 1t.
10 due course the superintendent
stood up in front OF the pulpit, with
a closed hymn-book In his hand and
his forefinger inserted between its
Leaves, ana commanded attention.
When a Sunday school superinten-
dent makes his customary little
speech q hymn. book in the hand is
as necessary as the inevitable sheet
of music in the hand OF q singer
who stands forward on the platform
and singsa solo att concert-though
why, is a mystery; for neither the
hymn-bOok nor the sheet of music
Is ever referred to by the sufferer.
The superintendent was o slim
creature of thirry-five, with a sandy
goatee and short sandy hair he
wore . stiff standing collar whose
sharp points curved forward abreast
the corners of his mouths fence
that compelled q straight lookout
Rnead, and q turning Of the whole
body when a side view was required
his. chin was propped on a spreading
Irsvat, which was as broad and as
long ~ a bank note, and had fringed
ends; mis- boot-toes vel turned
sharply up, in the fashion of the
day, like sleigh runners-an effect
patiently and laboriously produced
by the young men sitting with theiI
toes pressed against a wall for hours
together. Mr.. Walters was very
earnest of mien, and very sincere
and honest at heart ; and he held
sacred things and places in such
reverence, and SO separated them
from worldly matter that uncon.
sciously to himselfhis S~unday-school
voice HAD acquired a peculiar ia,
tonation which was wholly absent
on week DAYS. He began after THU
fashion.
"Now, children, l want you all te
sit up just a. straight and pretty al
you can, and give me all your atten'
ton for a minute or two There
that is the way good little boys and
girls should do. 1 see one little CIR
who Is looking out OF the window
1 am afraid she thinks 1 am out
there somewhere-perhaps up In
one of the trees, making q speech
to the little birds. IApplausive tit
ters. / want to tell you how good
1t mH5Ees me feel to see so many
bright, clean little faces assembled
In a place like this, learning to dc
right and be good.n And SO forth
and so on. 1t is not necessary tc
set down the rest of the grafton. II
was of a pattern which does moi
vary, and 1t is familiar to US all
The latter third of the speech wa
ma-red by the resumption Of fights
and other recresticus, among GER
tain of the bad boys, and by fidget'
ings and whisperings that extended
far aud wide, washing even to the
bases of isolated and incorruptibls
rocks like Sid. and Mary. But now
every sound cas- suddenly, with
the subsistence of Mr.. Walters
voice, and the conclusion Of the
speech was received with q burst Of
silent gratitude.