New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-11
TOM sAWYER,s PRIZE.
Story which all Good Little Sunday.
school Boys should Read.
by MARK TWAIN.


Sabbatb-sehool hours were from nine
until hall past ten; and then church service.
Two of tue children always remained tor
the sermon voluntarily, and the other also
remained tOo-for stronger reasons. The
church's hgh.baeked, uOcushiOned pews
would seat about 300 persons; the editice
was but small, PLAN affair, with sort of
pine board tree box on top OF it for q
steeple. At the door Tom dropped back
step and aeoOsted h Sunday dressed com
rade:
"Say, Bill, got yaller tickel7
YES"
"Whatll you take for heI!"
'What'll you givsp
apiece of lickrish aud fsh-hook."
dLess see EN-"
Tom exhibited. They were satisfactory,
and the property changed hands. Then
Tom tradedsa couple OF white alleys for
three red tickets, and some trifle or other
for a couple of blue Ones. He waylaid
other boys as they came, and went on buy
ing tickets of various eOlors ten or fifteen
minutes longer. He entered the church
now with q swarm of clean aud noisy boys
and girls, proceeded to his seat, and started
a quarrel with the first boy that came
handy. The teacher, a grave, elderly man,
interiered, then turued his back moment
and Tom pulled boys hair in the next
the boy turned around; stuck pin in an
other boy, presently, in order to hear him
say "Ouchp and got new reprimand
frOm.his teacher. Toms whole class were OF
pattern-Iesilsss, noisy and trout lesume.
When they came to recite their lessons not
one of them knew his verses perfectly, bus
had TO be prompted all along. However,
they worried through, and each got HE re-
ward in email blue tickets, each with
passage of scripture upon ii; each blue
ticket was pay for two verses of the reclta-
ton. Ten blue tickets equaled red enc,
and could be exchanged tor il ten red
tickets egusied yellow one; for ten elbow
tickets the superintendent gave y very
plainly bound Bible worth forty cents 10
those easy timet) to the pupil How many
of my readers would have the industry
and application to memOrize 1000 verses,
even for o D0re Bible2 And yet-Mary
had acquired two Bibles in this way-it
was the patient work oil two years-and a
boy OF German parentage had won four or
five. He once reeited 5000 verses without
stopping; but the strain upon his mental
faculties was too great, and he was little
better than an idiot from that dAy forth
grievOus misfortune for the school, for
on great occasions, before company, the gu.
per1ntendent las Tom expressed III had al
ways made this boy come out and "spread
himself" Only the older pupils managed
to keep their tickets and stick to their te-
dious work long enough to get Bible, and
so the delivery Of one of these prizes was a
rare and noteworthy circumstances; the sue
eesstul pupil was SO great aud conspicuous
Tor that day that on the spot every scholars
heart was fired with fresh ambition that
often lasted couple of weeks. 1t is Dos
sible that Toms mental stomach had never
really hungered for one of these prizes, but
unqueetlOnsbly his entire being had for
a Inn frE tLa
that came with it.
In due course the superintendent stood
mp IN front of the pulpit, with a closed
hymn book in his hand, and his forefin osr
inserted between it's leaves, and comma1d.
cd attention. When u Sunday school su-
perintendent ma1es his customary little
speech hymn book in the hand ia AZ mecca,
sary as is the inevitable sheet of mnsic in
the hand OF singer who stands forward
on the platform and sings solo at the con.
cert-though why, is q mystery; forneither
the hymn book nor the sheet of musio r.
ever referred to by the sufferer. The an.
perintendent was slim creature of thirty
i've, with sandy goatee and short sandy
hair he wore q stiff standing collar wbose
upper edge almost reached his ears
and whose sharp corners curved for
Ward abreast the corners of his
m0uth--a fence that compelled q straight
lockout ahead, and a turning of 5be
whole body when eide view was required:
MS ehin was propped on q spreading era.
vat. which was as broad and as long az A
bank note, and had fringed ends: his hoaf
toes were turned sharply mp, in the fashion
OF the day, like sleigh runners-an effsct
patiently aDd laboriOusly produced bv the
young meRsitting with their toss prsesed
against wall for hours together. MI
walters was very earnest Of mieu. and verv
eAneels ana honest at heari; and he held
sacred things ana places IN such reverence,
ana so separated them from worIdIv rnat
teFs that uneOnsciOusly to himself ma SIM.
Gay school voice had acquired a peculiar
lnl01atlOn which was wholly abspnt IN
week days. He began after this fashion;
Now, children, want you ali to sit m
just g straight and pretty as You can, and
Rlva ali your attention for q minute or two.
IneEe-that 4 the way good little boys and
sAkia should 40. Hes one little girl who il
looking out Of the windoR. am AFRAID
ehe thinks an cut there eomewhere-Der.
hapa up In one Of the trees. making a sDeeoh
ne little birds. Applausive titters /
4 want 70 tell you now good il makes
e Aeei % sec 90 many bright, clean
LUIS lnoes assembled in q place like
tnia Scanning 70 do right aud Be
good And 50 forth and 40 On, Il Il not
As1s-assy 70 Ast down the rest Of the ora
AaA - was Of q pattern which doea not
9aEfs ana 90 e I8 familiar bue ali. Tbe
l4ttsf tnlfa q the speech was msrFed hv
tne Eequmpten q fights and Other reoree,
slQnA alaone sertaia Of the bad bows. ana
py hagdfinEa and whispafines thatartsnsle5
~ snd vide. washing even 10 tha basee ~
A1tafea and tne0EEuptibte rocks lie q,d
40 ntF. Bat nov every sound eeaaed
44ealY. With the auhsidance Of Nj. Wei-
Nuieet and the conclusion 81 Az
wac received with burst q eflsnt
Fss
Ft q tho whispering haa been
$50 hf an event p hioA was more or
a~|Ha tniranoe Of visitors; L4myer
eAieeeH 1nnfed b. Tory feabis ara
HNH' 4Qrtls5 middiE-zFsd dan-
il4 haiz. ard difaI1sd
no VS. 4as the Iltlats 4ifa
~ child Hom
ia.