Litchfield enquirer., 1877-06-21

ing eyes. This was the great Judge Thatcher. brother of their own lawyer. Jeff Thatcher immediately went forward, to be familiar with the great man, and Do envied by the school. 1.-two uld have been music to his soul to hear the whisperings.
 ssLook at him, Jim l He's going up there. Say-look he's going to shake hands with him-he is shaking hands with him-he is shaking hands with him By iings. don't you wish you was Jetf ?"
 MT. Walters fell to showing of, with all sorts of official bustling and activities, discharging directions here, there, every where that he could find target. The librarian ''showed off, running hither and thither, with both arms full of books and making deal of the sputter and fuss that insect authorities delight in. The young lady teachers ''showed of = bending sweetly oyer pupils that were lately being boxed, lifting pretty warn- ing fingers at bad boys and batting good ones lovingly. The young gentleman, teachers 'rshowed off" with the small seedlings and other little displays of au- thority 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 frequent ly had to be done over again two or three times (with much seeming vexatFon). The little girls s'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 scuf. filings. And above, all the great man sat and beamed majestic judicial smile up- on all the house, and warmed himself in the sun of his own grandeur, for he was showing off, too. -...
 There was only one thing wanted to make Mir. Walters ecstacy complete, and that was chance to deliver a Bible prize and prodigy. Several pupils had few
 hse yellow hdS skess Ssen but ar0SRs ns haS Du sp0qs 5 star pupils inquiring. He would give worlds now to have that German lad back again with a sound mind.
 And now at this moment, when hope was dead, Tom Sawyer came forward with nine yellow tickets. nine red tickets, and ten blue ones, and demanded a Bible. This was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, Walters was not expecting an ap- plication from this source for the next ten years. But there was no getting around | it-here were the certified cheeks, and they were good for their face. Tom was therefore elevated to a place with the l judge and the other elect, and the great | news was announced from headquarters. It was the most stunning surprise of the 1 decade, and so profound was the sensa- | tion that it lifted the new hero up to the iudiclal one's altitude, and the school had | two marvels to gaze upon in the place of | one. The boys were eaten up with envy but those that suffered the bitterest bangs | were those who perceived too late they | themselves had contributed to this hated splendor by trading tickets to Tom for | the wealth he had amassed in selling whitewashing privileges. They despised themselves as being the dupes of willy 1 fraud-a guileful snake inthe grass.
 The prize was delivered to Tom, with as much effusion as the superintendent could pump. under the circumstances; but it lacked somewhat of the true gash, for the poor fellows instinct taught him there was a mystery here which could not we'll bear the light, perhaps; it was pre- posterous that this boy had waIehoused two thousand sheaves of scriptural wis dom on his premises-a dozen would strain his capacity without a doubt.
 Amy Lawrence was proud and glad, and she tried to make Tom see it Tn her face-but he wouldn't look. She wonder ed: then she was just a grain troubled; next dim suspicion came and went came again; a furtive glance told her worlds-and then she hated everybody. Tom most of all (she thought.
 Tom was introduced to the judge; but his tongue was tied, his breath would hardly come; his heart quaked, partly be- cause of the awful greatness of the man, mainly because he was her parent He would have fallen down and worshippod him, if it had been in the dark. The judge put his hand on Toms head and called him fine little man, and asked him what his name was. The boy stam- mered, gasped and got it out:
 | s'Tom"
 "Oh, no; not Tom-is it."
 ''Thomas."
 sAh, that's it. I thought there was more to it, may be. That's very well. But you've another one, dare say, and you will tell it to me, won't you"
 "Tell the gentleman your other name, Thomas" said Walters. And say sir you mustn't forget your manners"
 "Thomas Sawyer,-sir."
 That's it ! That's a good boy. Fino boy, Fine, manly little fellow. Two thous- and verses are a great many-a very, very great many. And you never can be sorry for the great trouble you to took to learn them: for knowledge is worth mere than anything there IS ln the world; it's what makes great men and good aen; you'll be great man aud a good man yourself, some day. and then you'll look back and say, it's all owing to my dear teachers that taught me to learn-its all owing to. the good superintendent, who encouraged me and watched over me, and gave me a beautiful Bible, to keep and have it for my own always-it's all owing to right bringing tip. That is what you will say, Thomas-and you wouldn't take any money for those two thousand verses no. indeed, you wouldn't mind telling me and this lady some of the things you've learned-no. know you wouldn't I-for we are proud of little boys that learn. Now, no doubt, you know the names of all the twelve disciples. Won't you tell us the first two that were ap- pointed?"
 Tom was tugging at button-hole and looking sheepish. He blushed now and his eyes fell. Mir. Walters heart sank within him. He said to himself, it is not possible that the boy can answer the sim plest question-why did the judge ask him. Yet he felt obliged to speak up and say:
 Answer the gentleman, Thomas; don't be afraid"
 Tom still hung fire. ..--
 "Now I know you will tell me" said the lady. "The names of the first two disciples were"
 David and Goliahl" Let us draw the curtain of charity over the rest of the scene.-Mark ItOdin. South, the more he IS convinced tbat | L Al, .nkr tu