Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-01-13
aylomth's Column.
TOMS SLATE PENCIL.

ed with his other fingers as he leaned
over his spelling book, with both elbows
on the desk, trying to master words
which seemed much harder than usual
He did not see it and he did not hear
it, but Freddie Wilton, his next neigh
Dor, both saw and heard. Aud Freddie
held in his hand the fragments of slate
pencil, three bits, which but two minu-
ties since had been "a nice, whole, long
pencil" such as little boys like to have
but such as Freddie seldom had for
more than an hour or two. for he had
way of breaking his pencils very soon
after they came into his possession, by
bearing to hard upon them while
making figures, writing, or drawing upon
his slate. And a few moments since
Miss Lee had said as she gave him this
new one, "Now, Freddie, that pencil
must last you for week if you break
it you must use the bits" But here it
was reduced to the condition of so many
of its fellows which had gone before.
1t was very queer and rather hard,
thought Freddie, that Toms pencil
should remain whole after fall, while
his own had broken in his very hand
f-IL III
"mad" at Tom on that account. Now
if Toms pencil had broken, Miss Lee
would not have thought him careless,
but would have given him another with
out word. Why were things SO con-
tary ? Then sudden temptation came
to Freddie. He stopped, and in ano-
Their moment the three bits lay upon the
floor and there was whole pencil in
Freddie's hand. But after this his
sum seemed very hard; he could not
think how much three and four made,
or seven and two, and then that pen
Gil did make such figures !" He thought
he would put away his slate he did
not care to have Tom see that pencil in
his hand, although sit would all come
right for him." so he put both in his
desk and took his spelling book. But
the lessons seemed as hard to him as 1t
did to Tom and he had not learned two
words when the latter put up his book
with weary sigh and took up his slate
and-where was his pencil.
There it lay broken into bits, and as
Tom picked them up he broke into a
loud, fretful cry.
What Tom Lane crying aloud, and
for triae like this Tom Lane, the
bravest boy in the class, the boy who
had stood between little Bessie Rolf and
Farmer Grey's fierce dog, when the
creature had flown out upon the chill
dren as they were passing the boy who
had waded into the mill-stream and
rescued Lily Kane's kitten at the risk,
as all knew, of being himself carried
over the dam !!
Miss Lee asked what was the matter.
called Tom to her and gave him a new
pencil but he continued to sob, and
she looked at him anxiously, felt his
head and hands, and asked if he would
like to 60 and sit in the poach a while
as she thought he did not feel we'll, Tom
said, Yes, as if he were glad to 60, and
when the other children went out fol
recess they found him there asleep in
rustic chair, with such red cheeks
that they thought he could not he very
ill., But when Miss Lee came out tc
see about him she looked more anxious
than she had done before; and calling
old Mr.. Hall, who was driving by, sht
asked if he would take Tom home.
Freddie stood and looked after tn,
, wagon, wishing, oh, so much, that Tom
, slate pencil were safe in his satchel, il
place of those broken bits which wer
his own. All day the thought of tn
slate pencils and of Toms distress dis
, turded him. and he had no heart 70
play.
4 Freddie's papa was the doctor. H
, was sent for to see Tom, and he sal
, he was very i'll: and when he cam
, home at night after paying his thir
visit, he looked troubled and said tn
poor little boy had the brain-fevel
Then Freddie, from the hall where h
! stood feeling very guilty, heard some
! thing about Miss Lee, and how Tol
had cried in school over mere trife
= but it seemed 10 trife to him he though
4 1t was cruel to call it so now, and /
q was very much frightened and imagine
- that his little schoolmate had been mao
"a i'll by distress about the pencil. Oh
; how bad he had been to him how /
. did wish he could undo what he ha
h done
Il That night Minnie, on her way
n her own little room, heard sobbing fro
Freddie's, and going in, found b
brother sitting up in his bed, and CT
, ing bitterly.
y What is the matter, Freddie ?"
- Minnie" said Freddie. answeril
= her question by another, "do people ev
~ die of brain-fever 2"
~ "Yes, sometimes ; and I should n
IL be surprised if Tom did. Papa says