Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-01-23

but the teacher; for had he not gazed
on it, wondering all the time she was eN-
planning his geography lesson to him
that very morning.
He had vague sense of queerness
that a beetle-a mere bug-should be
cut of gold and allowed to fill SO honor
able a place. Why. he was not so dirty
as beetle; vet would she even smile
at him, much less ask for his tin-type,
as 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 in imitation of ancient jewelry
when beetles were worshiped even,
what would he have said then?
Tom picked up the pin, with an
eager look around TO see if he were OBJ
served What Had he not heard
"Thou shalt not steal? ?" 0, yes. But
things were rather mixed up in poor
Toms mind.
The teacher had whipped him when
jim White sprinkled the snuff about,
and again for telling the truth, and not
lie; and here was her pin in his hand
She would miss it, he knew, and be
sorry to lose it; but he could buy q
the value Of it.
Marin wouldn't lick me then," he
reflected, with Il sense of relief that
showed he appreciated corporal pun
ishment as an argument when it was to
| be escaped But when it occurred to
! him, moment after, to buy off that
severe mother Of his by an immediate
present of the pin, something made
him hesitate.
She would keep it. he felt too sure, to
| be willing to risk it in her hands, unless
his mind was quite 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 a 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
a dread of what the consequences
might be, should the teacher, after all,
find out he had her pin.
Folks has sech ways of seem
through things" pondered Tom.
| But he was In luck as to supper, for
baby jimmy, the mothers pet, had
dropped in the yard a huge piece bread
molasses. Tom spied this, in the midst
of his meditations, and easily hid it.,
with the pin, under his jcaket, while he
skurried away out of sight from the
house. If he stayed out till pretty late,
his mother, tired with 3, hard days
work, would be abed and asleep, and he
was safe for the night, at any rate.
So he walked toward the village eat
ing first the bread and then a green APP
pie, that he had picked up on the road
side.
At length he heard the sound of
music. Tom dearly loved to listen to
the singing in the chapel when windows
and doors were open, so he could not
be seen, though he ventured close by.
He even sat down on the upper step.
After the hymn was over, rafting
cart drove along the street, so for a
minute Tom could not hear anything
going on inside the chapel
When it was quite again, he heard
some one saying very tenderly and
softly: He was despised 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 to see
what else was going to be said about
himself. 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
about
/
stupid. He went out into the dark,
where nobody could see or hear him,
and dropping On his knees, said: If
you could stand it, will"
1t was prayer, if it did sound all
wrong Poor Tom never did know how
to ''put things" though he did know
how to put himself on the divine side
Of life, if he didn't know the usual
ways. And was he not understood as so
| placing himself, and, therefore, worthy
to receive the blessings? You would
have believed it, had you seen the boys
face brighter, more up-looking. more
manly than anybody had seen it before
He had learned the Lords Prayer
This he repeated; and then, rising from
! his knees, he ran, as if for his life, to
Miss Wilton's clearinghouse.
AS he drew near, he heard some one
say:
It's that dirty little sneak of Tom
| Dolan."
Then a lads voice spoke sharply:
Go away, child What do you mean
hanging about here ?"
He dared not enter the gate, under
these circumstances; but he said, with
a boldness that astonished Miss Wilton,
accustomed, as she had been, to his
suffering, laundering ways: II want to
see the teacher"
A lady, wrapped in delicate white
shawl, gave sigh of mingled WEAKNESS
and disgust, as she came down the
gravelled walk. She had heard of the
straw hat episode, and looked for moth
ing else than an irate message from
Mrs. Dolan. What was her surprise to
see her own lost pin, the gift of dear
friend, glistening in the moonlight, as
Tom held it toward her
How good Of you, Tom, to bring it
| to mel'