Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-10-01
ScOtcll Granite.

Did you ever have n bit of cloth that
you thought clean until sometime it hap
pened to be laid close by u new piece, and
then you saw it to be soiled? In Il similar
way people discover facts about themselves
sometimes, 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 deceitful. Well.
when their cousin came they were delight
ed. lie 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 us they were, and the first
day he went to school they thought him
remarkably 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 the roll,
and the boys began TO answer Ten.
When Willie understood that he was TO
answer "ten" if he had not whispered
during the day. he replied:
81 haze whispered"
More than once?" asked the teacher.
"Yes, sir" answered Willie.
Gas many us ten times?'
Maybe l have" faltered Willie.
"Then shall mark you Zero" said
the teacher sternly, land that is great
disgrace"
"Why, did not see you whisper once,
said Johnnie that night after school.
"Well, did," said Willie. {" saw
others doing it, and so asked 10 borrow
a book; then l lent a slate pencil and
asked a boy for knife, and did several
such things. Isupposed that it was allow
ed.
"Oh, we all do it, said Burt, REDEEM
ing. There isn't any sense in the old
rule, and nobody could keep it, nobody
does"
- will, or else l will say l haven't, "
said Willie. do you suppose would
tell ten lies in one heapP"
"Oh, we don't call them lies" muttered
Joh rnie. There wouldn't be u credit
amongst us at night if we were SO strict. y
"What of that if you told the truthP"
laughed Willie, bravely.
was with him. He studied very hard,
played with all his might in playtime, but
according to his own account he lost more
credits than all the rest. After some
weeks the boys answered mime and
Eight oftener than they used to; yet
the schoolroom seemed to have grown
much quieter. Sometimes, when Willie
Grants mark was even lower than usual,
the teacher would smile peculiarly, but
said no more of disgrace" Willie never
preached at them or told tales, but some
how it made the boys ashamed of them
selves, 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 nick
name him "Scotch Granite" he was so
firm about promise.
Well, mt the end of the term Wille'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 n speech by
the teacher, who told of once seeing II
man muflled up in q cloak. He was pass
ing him without q 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 l mean when tell you that want
to give little gold medal to the most
faithful boy-the one really the most con-
scientiously perfect in his department
among you. Who shall have itP"
Little Scotch Granted" shouted forty
boys at once; for the child whose name
was so L" low on the crcdit-list had made
truth noble in their eyes.-Sunday School
FiSitor