The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-03-07

school. The middle-aged man turned out TO
be prodigious personage-no less a one
than the county judge-altogether the most
augusts 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 Constan-
tinople, IL miles away, so that be had trav-
eled and seen the world; these very eyes had
looked upon the county court house, which
was said to have tin roof The awe which
these reflections inspired was atteSted by the
impressive silence and the ranks of staring
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 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-l2okl he's going to shake
himl By jings don't you wish you was
Jeff2'' aaa
Mr.. Walters fell to showing off," with all
sorts as official bustlings and activities CIV
ing orders, delivering judgments, discharg-
ing direction here, there, everywhere that
he could find target The Librarian
showed off-running hither and thither with
his arms full of books and making deal of
the splutter and fuss that insect authority
delights in The young lady teachers
showed efr'-bending sweetly over pupils
that were lately being boxed, lifting pretty
warming fingers at bad little boys and pat
ting good ones lovingly. The young gentle
men teachers showed off with small scold-
iDgs 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 be done over again two
or three times with much seeming vexa-
toni The little girls showed off, in var,
Gus ways, and the little boys showed Off
with such diligence that the air was thick
with paper wads and the murmur of scuf-
filings. 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 show
ing off too.
There was only one thing wanting to make
Mr.. Walters's ecstacy complete, and that was
a chance to deliver a prize Bible and exhibit
a prodigy. Several pupils had few yellow
tickets but none had enough-he had been
around among the star pupils inquiring.
He woulds have given world, 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 tickets and ten blue
ones and demanded Bible. This was
thunderbolt out of a clear sky. Walters was
not expecting an application from this
source for the next 10 years. But there was
no getting around there were the certified
checks, and they were good for their face.
Tom was therefore elevated to place with
the judge and the other elect, and the great
news was announced from headquarters. 1t
was the most stunning surprise OF the de-
cade, and so profound was the sensation that
ii lifted the new hero up to the judicial ones
altitude, and the school had two marvels to
gaze upon in place of one. The boys were
all eaten up with envy-but those that suf-
fered the bitterest pangs were those who
perceived too late that they themselves had
contributed 10 this hated splendor by trad
ing tickets to Tom for the wealth he had
amassed in selling whitewashing privileges.
These despised themselves, being the
dupes Of a willy fraud, a guileful snake in
the grass.
The prize was delivered to Tom with as
much effusion as the superintendent could
pump up under the circumstances; but 1t
lacked somewhat of the true gush, for the
poor fellows instinct taught him that there
was a mystery here that could not well bear
the light, perhaps; ii was simply preposter-
GUS that this boy had warehoused 1000
sheaves of scriptural wisdom 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 ii in her face, but
he wouldn't look. She wondered; then she
was just grain troubled; next a dim suss
picion came and vent-came again; she
watched: furtive glance told her worlds
and then her heart broke, and she was jeal-
Gus and angry. and the tears came, and 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 because of
the awful greatness of the man, but mainly
because he was her parent He would have
liked 10 fall down and worship him, If 1T
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, gasped and got it out:
Tom"
"Oh, no, not Tom-it is"
Thomas rn
aAh, that's 1t. / thought there was more
another one, dare say, and you'll tell it TO
me, won't your
''Tell the gentleman your other name,
Thomas" said Walters. And say sir-you
mustn't forget your manners"
Thomas Sawyer-sir."
That's It'll That's a 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 knowl-
edge is worth more than anything there is
in the world; it's what makes great men and
good men; you'll be great man and good
man yourself some day, Thomas, and then
you'll look back and say, It's all owing to
my dear teachers that taught me to learn
it's all owing to the good superintendent,
who encouraged me- and watched over me,
and gave me a beautiful Bible, to keep and
have il all for my own always-it's all owing
to right bringing upp That is what You
will say. Thomas-and you wouldn't take
any money for those two thousand verses
no, indeed, you wouldn't And now you
wouldn't mind telling me and this lady