The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-07-10

breakfast went down to the kitchen
and made Mrs. Rugg give me two Of
three generous slices of roast beef anG
bread, some doughnuts and cheese
wrapped up in paper.
"Going early to the school-house,
found Tom there, as usual, the frs
scholar to be on hand always, although
he lived the farthest of. Calling him
to me and giving him the lunch, said
Ii you win try to do as well as you
can this term, and be good, studious
boy, l will bring you nice lunch every
day. He looked at me wonderiDgly
at the same time involuntarily reaching
out his long. skinny hands for the Gov:
eted package.
IS be awful hungry, schoolmarm,
he said, and SEEM there haint none 9,
the childruns roun' ter larf at me, I'll
take it sure enough, an eat it now.
haint never had SIGH er great hunk el
meat er cheese afore in mer life,' and
he straightway fell to devouring the
food liked starved dog. After it had
all disappeared even 70 the last crumb,
he gave little grunt of satisfaction,
and looked up at me as # his appetite
had only been sharpened. and that
further installment of food would not
come amiss.
THAT night made bargain with
Mrs. Rugg. Tom Strong was to come
| to her kitchen every noon for hearty,
wholesome, hot meat-dinner, and Twas
| to pay for it. l was in Strengthened
circumstances myself, besides was
trying to pay my way through Vassar,
but deeply commiserated the lad, and
then was curious to see what good
food, and enough of it, would do for
his mental elevation.
"'The boy begins to show his keep
ing,' said Mrs. Rugg to me, at the end
of the week; but dear me! hasn't he
an appetite! It takes heap of victuals
to fill him up!'
"Indeed, the metamorphosis, both
physical and mental, that had taken
place in the boy by the time the school,
year had closed was something won
derful. Although he refused to take
his dinners at the hotel after the first
term at my expense, he continued
taking them there during the year,
paying for them by doing errands,
pumping water, etc. He grew plump
and sleek, learned to read, spell and
write, and after short time had little
or no difficulty with the four funda-
mental processes of arithmetic. All
his old time nervousness, irritability
and frequent fits of apathy were gone.
He readily fell into studious ways and
soon mastered whatever he undertook.
His logged persistence was remarka-
BILE. His department was also exempla-
ry; he never gave me the least trouble,
and tried to serve me every way in his
power.
lin due time I entered Vassar, and
graduated. Subsequently taught
here and there year or two, and then
married my husband, whom you have
met here. Having heard nothing
whatever of Tom Strong or from this
village for years, one day, just after
l had begun housekeeping, was sur
prised to get a letter with the familiar
name of Marshton upon it as the post
mark; here it is, for 1 brought it
down with me this morning, having
determined to confde to you this, one
of the pleasantest episodes of my life,
some time during the day. were you at
leisure and willing to grant me the OPP
portunity."
l took the letter in my hand. Its
chirography was plain but handsome,
and it read:
MARsHroN. April 10, IS.
Mrs. Rev. Dr.. Andrew Knowlton:
the other ysnd thar Is the
YOU taught school in this village Are You really
sa5 Mo en ssn. snd S Shore
Tho frst realization ever had that was hu-
With capabilities for self-improvement and fu..
ture usefulness, came through your labors in my
behalf in the schoOlroom, and your charitable
dS5 wSsn so at
l was nearly starved. body and soul. well re-
member just how those dinners, meal by meal.
PSose rsadns in as the Ss Ns s
too, built me mp in q spiritual way: In every
sense of the word was born again. that MEM
staying at the hotel. doing chores for my board
Rpgg died. when became proprietor Of the ho-
has grown to be quite q famous summer resort.
To keep pace with the public demands I have
greatly enlarged the hotel. and have added many
invite you and your disting ushed husband to
come and make me a visit whenever it shall be
most convenient to you.
Yours. most gratefully. THOMAS b. STRONG.
handed back the letter to the sweet
little woman. the eyes of both of us
suffused with tears, while she said,
The July following the receipt of this
letter, when my husbands annual va
cation began, we accepted the invita-
ton, and have been here every year
since. We have our old rooms newly
furnished this season, and we are proud
to count as one of our best friends our
genial Landlord Strong, who is a
friend to the whole world, and who
will take off his hat whenever he meets
me, because, he says, I made o man
of him. Mrs. Annie a. Preston, in
Neso England Journal of Education.