The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-18
Little Scotch Granite.

Did you ever have bit of cloth that
you thought clean until some time it
happened to be laid close by new
piece and then you saw it to be soiled? In
similar way people discover facts about
themselves, as Burt and Johnnie Lee
did when their Scotch cousin came to
live with them. They were "pretty
good boys" and would have been very
angry if any body had called them de-
ceitful. Well, when their cousin came,
they were delighted. He was little, but
very bright and full of fun. He could
tell curious things about his home in
Scotland and his voyage across the ocean.
He was as far advanced in his studies as
they were, and the first day he went to
school they thought him remark ably
good. He wasted no time in play when
he should have been studying, and he
recited finely. At night before the close
of school, the teacher called q roll, the
boys began to answer, "Ten." When
Willie understood that he was to say
"Ten" if he had not whispered during
the day, he replied, ~ hare whispered"
"N1ore than once?" asked the teacher.
eyes, sir" answered Willie.
"As many rs ten times %
"N1ay be have" faltered Willie.
"Then I shall mark you 'zero,'" said
the teacher sternly, sand that is great
disgrace"
"Why I did not see you whisper
once ?" said Johnnie that night after
school.
"Well, 1 did," said Willie. "I saw
others doing it, and so asked to borrow
book then I lent a slate pencil and
asked a boy for knife, and did several
such things, / supposed it was allowed.
ooh, we all do it," said Burt, redden-
ing. "There isn't any sense in the old
rule, and nobody could keep it, nobody
does"
"I will or else 1 will say L haven't"
said Willie. "Do you suppose l would
tell ten lies in one heap7"
"Oh, we don't call them lies," NUT
tered Johnnie. "There wouldn't be a
credit among us at night if we were so
strict"
"What of that, if you told the truth ?"
laughed Willie, bravely.
In short time the boys all saw how it
was with him. lie studied very hard,
played with all his might in playtime,
but according to his own account he lost
more credits than any of the rest. Af-
ter some weeks the boys answered,
mine" and Eight" oftener than they
used to; yet the school room seemed to
have grown much quieter. Sometimes,
when Willie Grants mark was even
lower than usual, the teacher would
smile peculiarly, but said ~ more of
disgrace" Willie never preached at
them or told tales, but somehow it made
the boys ashamed of themselves, just the
seeing that this sturdy, blue eyed Scotch
boy must tell the truth. 1t was putting
the clean cloth by the half soiled one, you
see; and they felt like cheats and story
tellers.' They talked him over and loved
him, if they did nickname him Scotch
Granite" he was 80 firm about promise.
Well, ct the end of term, Willie's name
was very low down in the credit list.
When it was read, he had hard work not
to cry, for he was very sensitive, and he
had tried hard to be perfect. But the
very last thing that day was speech by
the teacher, who told of once seeing a
man muffled in a cloak. BE was passing
him without look, when he was told
the man was General -, the great hero.
"The signs of his rank were hidden, but
the hero was there just the same," said
the teacher. "And now, boys, you will
see what mean when l tell you that I
want to give little gold medal to the
most faithful boy-the one really the
most conscientiously perfect in his de-
pertinent among you. Who shall have
it?"
Little Scotch Granitep shouted forty
boys at once; for the child whose name
was so Glow" on the credit list had made
truth noble in their eyes. s. Visitor.