Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-01-25

than head-band, so amused the boys
that their shouts Offering and laughing
penetrated even his duh brain With Il
sense Of being miSerably Nronged and,
tossing the still smoking fragment of Il
hat into the brook, he watched it float
away, through fast falling tears.
There would only be more torture
from the boys, if he ventured out of his
hiding place till they were all gone
home. Added to this reason for delay
was the moral certainty that his mother,
herself hard-working, often ill-used
woman, would beat him for coming
home hatless. So he staid, watching
the merry water dance over the stones,
soothed by it, though he didn't know
why, till hunger forced him to brave
the whipping and all the rest
He stayed his steps little rs he drew
near home, mcditatng on how he might
reach II Mt the pantry window and help
himself to supper, if only he had jack
knife to cut away one of the laths that
were used to bar the open window in
hot weather
He was walking slowly, when his bare
toe received Il prick from something ~
kicked the cause directly into sight
That brcast-pin, with the golden beetle
ON it, surely never belonged To ANY one
but the teacher; for had he not gazed
on it, wondering all the time she was ON
planning his geography lesson 70 him
that very morning.
He had vague sense of QueemCsS
that Il bcctle--a mere hug-should be
cut of gold and allowed to fill SO honor
able 4 place Why he was not 50 dirty
rs Il beetle; vet would She even smile
ut him, much less ask for his tin-type
us he had heard her for several of the
boys photographs?
If Miss Wilton had read his wonder
about the golden beetle, and told him
that the reason for its being ON her pin
was III imitation of ancient jcwclry
when beetles were worShiped even,
what would he have said then?
Tom picked up the pin, with an
eager look around 70 see if he were oh
served. What Had hc not heard
'Thou shalt not steal?" O., yes, But
things were rather mixed up in poor
Toms mind.
The teacher had whipped him when
Jim White sprinEled thg snuff about,
and again for telling the truth, and not
Il lie; and here was her pin in his hand.
She would miss it, he knew and hc
sorry to lose il; but he could buy il
jacll-klife and maybe a hat, too, with
the value of it.
" Marin wouldn't lick me then" he
,JYI ..f ,AJ, tl,.,I
showed he appreciated corporal pun
ishmcnt as an argument when it was to
be escaped But when it occurred to
him, i moment after, to buy off that
severe mother Of his by IN immadiatc
present of the pin, something made
him hesitate.
She would keep il, he felt too sure, to
be willing to risk it III her hands, unless
his mind was quito made up not to re-
store the pin to Its owner. A little feel
ing Of pity, perhaps, for the teacher
for it must have cost deal Of money
"A little shame at the thought Of not
doing as he would be done by, maybe,
made him pause; but more than all else
II dread of what the consequences
might bc, should tho teacher, after al,
find out he had her pin.
Folks has sech ways of scein'
through things" pondered Tom.
But hc was in luck as to supper, for
baby jimmy, the mothers pet, had
dropped in the yard a huge piece bread
molasses. Tom spicd this, in the midst
of his meditations, and easily hid it,
with the pin, under his jcakct, while lie
skurred away out of sight from the
house. If he stayed out till pretty late,
his mother, tired with hard days
work, would be abed and asleep, and he
was safe for the night, at any rate.
So he walked toward the village cat
ing first the bread and then Il green APP
pie, that he had picked up ON tho road
side.
At length he heard the sound Of
music. Tom dearly loved to listen to
the singing i'll the chapel when windows
and doors were open, 50 he could not
be seen, though he venturcd close by |
He even sat down on the upper step. |
After the hymn was over, rafting |
cart drove along the street, 50 for n
minute Tom could not hear anything |
going on inside the chapel
When it was quite again, he heard |
some one saying very tcnderly and
softly: lie was dcspiscd and rejected
Of men.
Why, that's me they're talking
about exclaimed Tom, surprised into
speaking aloud. But nobody heard him,
and he leaned forward eagerly u sec
what else was going to be said about
To his utter amazement, he /
soon gathered that it was Christ Jesus,
the Lord, and not poor Tom Dolan, son
Of the washerwoman and Of the drunk
en- bricklayer, that they were talking