The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1878-05-15
II am sorry to see you so low in

''Im always there, promptly.
"Mostly foot"
1--WE must try and bring you
up,"-cheerfully.
You can't do it: sir,""-looking
him straight in the eye, and speak
with a ready decision that startled
the teacher. II study moro than
any boy hcre. But 1 can't learn.
I'm Of no account, Mr.. Pigeon
says"
Mr.. Nagle was very patient
with John. But after few
weeks, he, too: began to despair.
The boy seemed to have absolute
ly no memory for words, and very
little for ideas. If a rule 10 arith-
mctic or fact in history was
hammered into his head to-day, by
tomorrow it was sure to be gone.
As far as this poor brain was con
cerned, it certainly seemed as if
nature preferred a vacuum.
One day Johns mother called
on Mr.. Nagle. She was a little,
anxious woman, dressed in deep
mourning.
"Can you do nothing with the
boy ?" she said, with tears coming
to ber eyes. "He is all l have.
His father is dead. l hoped to
give him classical course, and to
see him in some profession"
u will do all / can," promised
Mr.. Nagle. But his heart sank
within him.
Leaving Mrs. Steel, he went
down into the village street. A
crowd had collected about trench
which had been dug for some pur-
pose. The doctors horse had
fallen into it, and was struggling
desperately to get out, the sbelv-
ing yellow clay giving him an un-
certain foothold.
Some of the men had struck
him cruelty, and some were try
ing to urge him by dragging at
the reins. All the others were
looking on solemnly, with their
hands in their pockets. Just then
Mr.. Nagle heard a clear, authori-
tative voice.
"Help me bring these planks
and put them in the trench !"
Surely that was Johns voice.
TO his surprise, the men listened
to him. "What's yer idee, John
ny?"
"The horse can help himself
better than all Of you can drag
him, only give him a solid foot
ing"
In FIVE minutes the poor beast
had struggled out, with the help
of two or three planks.
He limped as he was led of:
Nobody noticed this but John.
stop a moment" he cried, and
lifting the horses foot he picked
out a stone from it with a little
tool which he took from his
pocket for Johns pocket was
filed with little tools and queer,
tiny mechanical contrivances.
"Who made them, John ?" said
his teacher.
II did, sir,"-looking stupid
again.
The next day, about dusk, Mr..
Nagle was in the ferry-boat which
crossed the river at that point.
Several Of his pupils were on
board, coming back from match
of baseball; among them Clarence
and John.
When half way across the river,
there was a loud explosion, and
Mr.. Nagle found himself cllnging
to the deck rail, his legs in the
water.
The boiler had burst with such
force that the boat was Shattered
A portion eff the deck bad parted
from the hulk as the latter sank
to the bottom of the river. There
was a frantic struggle for life
Then the portion Of the wreck be
was on foated down stream.
About dozen of the passengers
clung to il. The night fell fast
The shore was but fast receding
dark line, with red twinkllng
lights.
Upon the shattered deck cabir
a single life perserver. John saw
it, climbed like cat to where il
was, and brought it down.
"Giye me that % shrieked Cla
renee. "Oh, give it to me!
can't swim p