Litchfield enquirer., 1877-06-21
HOW TOM SAWYER WON A PRIZE
 BIBLE.

until past ten, and then church service. Two Of the children always remained for the sermon voluntarily, and the others al- ways remained too-for stronger reasons. The church's high-back, uncushioned pews would seat some three hundred per sons; the edifce was but small, plain af- fair, with sort of pine board tree box on top of it for steeple. At the door Tom dropped back step and accosted Sum- day dressed comrade:
 'Say, Billy, got yaller ticket?"
 'Yes."
 'What'l you take for her?"
 "Whatu you give?
 ''Piece of ikerish and fish hook. ''Less see 'em." s5 Tom exhibited. They were satisfactory, and the property changed hands. Then Tom traded couple of white alleys for three red tickets, and some tri1e or other for a couple of blue ones. He waylaid other boys as they came, and went on buying tickets of various colors ten or hf- teen minutes longer. He entered the l church now with Q swarm of clean and noisy boys and girls, proceeded to his | ssat and commenced quarrel with the first which came handy. The teacher, grave elderly man, entered; then turned his back a moment and Tom pulled boys hair in | the next bench and was absorbed in his book when the boy turned around; stuck pin in another boy presently in order to hear him say "Ouch p and get repri- mand from his teacher. Toms whole class were of pattern restless, noisy and troublesome. When they came to recite their lessons, not one of them knew his verses perfectly, but had to be prompted 1 all along. However, they worried through onl, 1Dl Asal- l cts, each blue with passage or Scripture on 1t; each blue ticket was pay for two verses of the recitation. Ten blue tickets equaled red one and could be exchanged | for It: ten red tickets equaled yellow one; 1 for ten yellow tickets the superintendent gavea very plainly bound Bible (worth for ty cents in those easy times) to the pupil. How many of my readers would have the industry and application to memorize 2OO0 verses, even fer Dore Bible?
 And yet-Mary had, acquired two Bibles ] in this way-it was the patient work of two years-and boy of German parent age had won four or five. He once recit- ed three thousand verses without stopping but the strain upon his mental faculties, was too great, and he was too great, and he was listle better than an idiot from that day forth-a grlevous mis- fortune for the school, for on great occa- sions, before company, the superintendent Gas Tom expressed it) had always made this boy come out and ''spread himself. ' Only the older pupils managed to keep their tickets and stick to their tedious work long enough to get 8. Bible, and sc the delivery of one of those prizes was g rare and noteworthy circumstance; the sue cessful pupil was so great and conspicuous l r. Gl~ . nL0ln n,e heart was fired with fresh ambition that often lasted couple of weeks. It IS pos sible that Toms mental stomach had nev CT really hungered for one of those prizes but unquestionably his entire being had for many day longed for the glory and ecL0t that came with 1t.
 In due course the superintendent stood up in front of the pulpit, with @ closed hymn books on his hand and his forcing CT inserted between it's leaves, and com handed attention. When Sunday schoo superintendent makes his customary little speech, hymn book in the hand is al necessary as is the inevitable sheet O. music in the hands of singer who stands forward on the platform and sings a solo at 8 concert-though why, is mystery;fol neither the hymn book nor the sheet O. ID usic is ever referred to by the sufferer The superintendent was slim creature O. thirty-fv with sandy goatee and shor sandy hair; he wore a stiff-standing collar whose upper edge almost reached his ears and whose sharp points curved forward abreast the corners of his mouth-a fence that compelled straight look ahead, and turning of the whole body when a side view was required; his chin was propped on 8 spreading cravat, which was as broad and as long as bank note, and had fringed ends; his boot toes were turned sharply up, in the fashion of the day, like sleigh runners-an effect patiently and laboriously produced by the young mer sitting with their toes pressed against { wall for hours together.
 MT. Walters was very earnest man and very sincere and honest at heart; anG he held sacred things and places in such reverence, and so separated them from worldly matters, that unconsciously to himslf his Sunday school voice had ac. quired 8 peculiar intonation which was wholly absent on week days. He began after this fashion:
 ''Now, children, want you to sit up just as straight and pretty as you can. and give me all your attention for min. ute or two. There-that is the way good little girls and boys should do. see one I little girl who is looking out of the wind ow. l am afraid she thinks am out there omewhere-perhaps in one of the trees making speech to the little birds
 Applausive titters. I want to tell you how good it makes me feel to see so many bright, clean.faces assembled in a place like this. learning to do right and be good" And so forth and so on. It is no necessary y to set down the rest of the ora ton. It was of 8 pattern which does no vary, and so 1t Is familiar to us all. Int latter third of the speech was marred bJ the resumption of fights and other recrea tions among pertain of the bad boys, ano by fghtings and whisperings that extend ed far and wide. reaching even to the basis of isolated and incorruptible rocks like Sid and Mary. But now every sound ceas ed suddenly with the subsistence of Mr. Walters voice, and the conclusion of the speech was received with burst of silent gratitude.
 A good part of the whispering had beer occasioned by an event which was more or less rare-the entrance of visitors Lawyer Thatcher. accompanied by very feeble and aged man; fine. portly, mid. le-aged gentleman with iron-gray hair and dignifed lady who was doubtless the latter's wife, The lady was leading { child. Tom had been restless and full o chahngs and repinings; conscience smit ten, too-he could not meet Amy Law rence's eye, he could not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new conner his soul was ablaze with bliss in $ moment. The next moment he wal showing off, with all his might-cufine boys, pulling hair. making faces-in a word, using every art that seemed likely to fascinate girl and win her applause His exaltation had but one alloy-tht memory of his humiliation in this angels garden-and that record in sand was fast washing out under the waves of happiness that were sweeping over it now.
 The visitors were given the highest seal of honor, and as soon as MT. Walters speech was finished, he introduced then to the school. The middle-aged mar } turned out to be prodlgious parsonage mo less one than the county judge altogether the most august creature these I