Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1878-05-25
The Head of the Glass.

sure Ss anything tbefe WIS t"o u . !" - ~
sounds so anyway. Poor Joe failed 10 It to-
day, and he got down one. lie feels awful bad
abou, i.--you know he's been q. the head o!
the class for two weeks"
"Oh, pshawl" answered, al wouldn't feel
bad over tha.-I don't think its cutie fair to
keep at tie head oil the time, and not give any
one else chance. Go down and ask Joe and
the rest to come up here and will tell'you a
story of something that happened in my school
life that remember as well as il it were yes
terday.' .4
Willie Fisko was one Of tho 7ery brightest
boys 10 town, and although he loved fun as
well as any Of the rest Of his mates, yet he
was very fond Of study, and was never quite
contented until he reached the head Of tho
class in which he was.
When hC was eleven years old no. entered
the grammar school, and his fsther said at that
time: Willie, if you ever &c, to be the first
one Of the first class in the first division--that
is, to be at the head Of this great school,
will give you gold watch"
I. looked lIhe a Hg job but Willie was
quito ready TO undertake It. and answered:
All right, papa you can just make up
your mind to hand over the watch by the
time I'm fourteen years old.
lie went .e work very much 10 earnest, and
as he passed from time TO time through tho
different classes, aud succeeded 10 keeping at
the head Of them-often for weeks together
he began 70 ace that tho watch was apretty
sure thing, aud would imsgine how grand he
should feel TO takei out and "tcll the .elers
the time Of day"
Willie was very generous boy. and was
never SO happy as when sharing some good
thing with others He always defended the
smaller boys, and il any one wGs in trouble he
was always on hand 10 help them out Of it.
OF course he was d great iayorite with both
the boys aud girls. and no one ever seemed 10
envy him because he had rich father, or be-
cause he was SO good scholar.
Just as he reached bis fourteenth birthday
he entered tho highest class ia the school. IL
was now that the watch was to DO won or lost
lie haI not been in the class week before
he found that he he! n rival-a sweet little
Vir, named Tlossie Lee. She had just come
into the school, rs her parents had only recent
ly moved to our village from dStan, city,
and ilossic, after an examination, had been
placed in the same class With Willie.
Her parents did not havo much money, but
as their little girl was fine scholar, they felt
that they must send her 10 school as long rs
they could and Flossic had often told them
that she meant 20 be n teacher aud earn lots
Of money ior them"
So you see that, although shc did not have
O gold watch TO work for, she bad something
worth great deal more.
And that Flossie Lee was the rival Willie
had found for sto very soon skipped over oil
the others aud took ber place nt tho hoad OF the
class and Il looked as though it was going 10
be pretty hard task to get her out OF II.
Quite 10 despair. one day. Willie said to bis
mamma:
"I,'s 10 Csc trying. tcii you. | shall never
get higher than nunbo, ivo--neror tiossie
Leo cant fall. But there's one thing about IL
II any ene has got 10 keep mo from getting TO
Zoe head thls year. I'd rather IL would DO Flos-
sie than sny body else IN school, fos | Ike her
Grn rate" And guess he did fof many
6nc pa1 OF bunch Of grapes, OF luscious orange
did Wills take from bis owo home table. and
watch his chaocs TO put then 10 Flossios
modes, little lunch basket that hung under hof
sseQue 10 Tho ball Of tho school. "for. a. be
told his msmms, one Gay. Flossio ncver
seems 10 have anything but crackers OF broad
and butter for Luncheon. and shs almost
always goes OF by herself 10 eat. when all the
rest Of us are having lots Of goodies; aud
tell you lis fun, mamms, 10 hido. and watch
her eyes shine when she finds the good things
I've pu, In. guess shc thinks it's some good
fairy thA, puts them there, don't you 2
One day al recess. ns a group Of boys and
girls wero chatting together about very hard
lesson they hal Just been reciting. in which
every one Of thc class had failed at loas, once,
save Flossie, one Of the boys, Who Was rather
rough in his way called out,
Say, Will Flskc. you can be- on one
thing p,e,ly suFe, and that is. yOull never &c,
that gold watch as long rs Flossio Lees IN the
class. Number one sho is nud number one
she will stay !"
81 know that" said Fanny Ilnntlcy, who
never had perfect lesson IN her life. should |
think you'd be as mad as fire at her, Willie, !
instcal Of doing what saw you DO to-day
Who was il pat that orange into her basket,
| should ike to know, m ?"
"Fore a be such a tell-tale, Fanny Hunt
ley" said bright little girl in the group: "if
you weren't always Peeplns round you
wouldu't SEQ 50 much"
" don't care" answered Willie. am not
ashamed Of it, Yes, did put an orange into
ber basket, and wish had the chance often
or, for shes good onl kind, and like her the
best Of any girl IN school-so there, now =
and turning on his heel, he called out
Come on, iellers, lets have a game Of
hockey before The bell rings and ia two
minutes he had forgotten all abOutit.
Not SO with fiossc, who had heard every
word. Tie children hal stood directly under
meath an open window, behind tic blinds
Flossie hal been seated eating The orange she
had found in her basket The tears wore 10
her eyes as Willie turned away, but they were
more happy tears than SAD ones. Ny good
ness % she exclaimed to herself. Then its be
that has been putting all these good things
into my basket and be can't get gold watch
because always know ny lessous. Oh,
wish I could fail"
She pu,z.ed over /, FOR q long time how she
could manage TO fail houestg. for She said 10
herself: can never say ! don't know IL /
10. when the questions arc asked me-
At last she thought II way. Il knos
how can DO t." che said, A" day after to-mor-
row comes our geography review Of the whole
nited States, aud won. even look at IL,
and then will never remember everything, 1
anil III surely fail Then Willie will have my
place. aud get Lis watch. Oh, gooly, goody I
snd lil tell papa and mamma ali about 10. 50
they will know neeln', have failed, and I'm I
sure they will want him 10 get tho watch 4
when tel them hos good 10 has been 10 me-"
And so for the first time 10 six months Flos |
sic went to school the morning Of the review
lesson, buging the geography she bad no.