The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-04-02
Human Feeling stronger Than BOyiSh
Snite.

From the Youths Companion
mo boy or man" said the doctor,
'accomplishes 50 much in life as the one
with the bulldog jaw and set purposes
in short, the quality Of holding on.
"N-no," hesitated the colonel And
yet, the success Of these strong-willed,
obstinate fellows depends altogether on
the track on which they run. They go
down hill just as fast as they 90 up.
Did l ever tell you about James Nor
rill ?"
Probably not. l don't recall the
name.
''WeIl, he was a classmate Of mine
when | went to a distant school, up in
the mountains in Vermont. There were
two Of the Morrill, boys-twins-James
and Jack. Red-headed, ugly fellows, so
much alike their mother scarcely knew
them apart. But Jack was an easy,
good-tempered, noisy boy, while James
was silent, slow and almost as sure as
death itself James had few ideas, and
as few friends, but he held them with q
tenacity which | never saw equalled.
"One day, Mr. Ruddiman, the teach
er, accused James Morrill, Of some mis-
chief | have forgotten what-the
breaking of Il window, | think Jim
denied it; and the doctor, to punish
him for lying, whipped him severely.
Teachers are mortal, and the doctor was
mistaken. Jim, as it turned out after
ward. was innocent. He bore the
threshing without word Whenit was
over, he stood up before the doctor pale
as a corpse. The doctor was a big,
burlv man, and Jim a little fellow Of 10.
I'm pay YOU for every blow" he said
'Eif | have to wait for fifty years to dc
| it! / never was struck before, and
never will be again y
He walked out Of school and never
came back The Morrills soon after
that moved to Boston, and James few
wears later went with his uncle to China.
He was employed in an English house
at Foochow as tea-taster, and did not
return to the States until he was a man
of 30, with a grizzled beard and strong
as Hercules. | suppose that the com
J parative solitude in which he had always
| lived-for there were but few English
| men and women then in Foochow-haC
| given morbid strength to the feelings
and preiudices of his childhood. He
came home purposely to see his brother
| John, for whom he had that strange at
tachment which often exists between
twins. John had gone to New Mexico
on some wild exploring expedition-fol
the vagabond blood was strong in hin
vet-bat he should have returned il
June and this was in August.
Z" He will be in New York by the
time | return said James. In the
meantime | have little business to at
tend to in Vermont. Old Ruddiman,
hear. is still living
Il looked at him in astonishment.
{" Morrill,, | said, you surely do not
after half a lifetime, bear a grudge fol
that childish squabble.'
HE was no child He was man
He struck me unjustly. There is not {
dav in which those blows have no
burned into my flesh | am a man, like
himself, now, and I'll give him blow fol
| blow
Il also had business in Vermount, anC
| went with him, hoping to interfere, i
possible. But the sense of injury haC
ranked so long in his brain that i
amounted to insanity. He was genial
| kind-hearted fellow, except when Ruddi
mans name was mentioned. Then h
would grow gloomy and silent Hi
long absence from a civilized countr,
made him ready to note all that hap
pened about him. He took, too, tn
| keenest interest in every child and VIC
man that entered the cars, and wa
always ready to help them in any wa,
he could
All station among the hills, littl
girl came into the cars leading feeble
old man. Morrill, sprang TO help him t
a seat, and then he came back for hi
valise.
q He's blindp he said. Just thinl
of it TO live in your own country an
not be able to see it The old fellow
poor, Pm afraid. I'll go and sit wit
i him.
HE sat by the old man at interval
! during the whole day, helping him o
} and on the train when we stopped 70
! meals. and, | fancy, paying for sumptu
Gus repasts, to which his companion
had long been strangers. Once he cam
back to me-
ga fine old gentleman he sale
'Singularly intelligent. And there
something very reverend in his simpl
: piety and goodness. If you had live
, among heather for thirty years, you
/, appreciate it.
e AT sunset we reached C, an
e Morrill, assisted the feeble blind man
4 y. cd al, I~,&9