The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-04-08

put them up, and we will give tn,
children pleasant surprise. Here are
some books for you, Thomas you may
put them in your drawer. They art
what want you to study
fBut can't study geography and
history exclaimed Tom, confusedly
Il never did,
THAT is the reason why you think
you cannot replied Miss Westcett. Il
am quite sure you eau, and you will
love them, 1 know.
Nobody ever cared whether ]
learned anything or not, before ; said
Tom, with emotion.
well, 1 care,' said Miss Westcott,
with much earnestness; you are ca
pable of being a great and good man
you are now forming your character
in life, and il depends upon yourself
what you become. The poorest boy
in this country has an equal chance
with the wealthiest, and his circum
stances are more favorable for becom-
ing eminent, for he learns to depend
upon himself. 1 will assist you all 1
can in your studies, Thomas, aud 1
know you will succeed; remember
that am your friend, and come to me
in every difficulty.
Tom Jones had not been brought
up he had come up, because he had
been born into the world and couldn't
help it !; but, as for any mental or moral
training. he was as ignorant of it as a
wild bramble of pruning knife. His
father was an Incorporate, bad man,
and his mother a totally inefficient
woman. AT home he received moth
abuse. His bad passions were there
fore all excited and fostered, and his
good ones were never called out. He
always expected that his teacher
would hate him, SO he aroused anew
his combative powers to oppose them,
and he made up his mind to turn the
new schooi-ma'am out of DOORS
When, therefore, Miss Westcott said
she was glad to have him in her school
he was amazed; and that she should
manifest such an interest for him, aud
give him set of books, was perfectly
incomprehensible to him. Miss West
colt understood his position and char
acter, and determined to modify them.
She felt that he was equally capable of
good and bad actions, though the bad
now predominated. She knew that
his active mind must be busy; one
might as well think of claiming the
lightning as bending down by force
that wild spirit to his books. She
would give him employment; but such
as would call out new train of
thoughts and ideas. He must feel that
he was doing good tor others sake,
and that he was not guided along by
his own wayward will, and yet there
must be no appearance of restraint
upon him he must choose to do good.
Tom Jones went home that night
with a new feeling in his breast; for
the first time in his life he felt that he
was capable of rising above his pres
ent condition,snd becoming somewhat
greater and better than he was. His
mind became inundated with a new
and strange emotion, and like mighty
river turned from its course, his ener-
gies and thoughts from that hour
sought a new direction.
The next morning he was up with
the dawn, and when Miss Westcott
arrived at the school-housc she found
Tom Jones there with his evergreens.
'Geod morning, Thomas she said
$50 you are here before me
you must haye risen early. and see
you have found some beautiful eyer
green's. Now if you will help me hang
them we will have the room all ready |
by nine o'clock.
have brought hammer and some
nails,' said Tom; Thought we should
need them.
Yes, SO we shall; am glad you
thought of it, replied Miss Westcott.
That day every scholar looked with
to see Tom Jones actually
studying his book, and hear him an
swer several questions correctly, and
they were still more confounded when
at recess Miss Westcott said:
you will take care of these little
will you not, and see that
they do not get hurt? You must be
their protector
One would as soon have thought of
setting a wolf to guard a flock of
lambs as Tom Jones to take good care
of little children.
sWell,' exclaimed Sam Evans, Il
never saw such schoolma'am in all |
the days of my life, did You, Tom?
sNo,' replied Tom, but wish had
and 1 would have been different boy
from what am now, but l am going
to study now and learn something.
Miss Westcott says can, and 1 am de-
to try
was astonished to observe the eff
feet of Miss Westcott's treatment of
Tom had upon the scholars. They be.
gan to consider him of some import
ance, and to feel sOrt of respect for
him, which they manifested first by
the nickname Tom, and sub
stituting Tommy, which revealed cer-
tainly more kindly feeling toward
him.
In less than q week Miss Westcott
had the school completely under con-
troll, yet it was by love and respect
that she governed, and not by an iron
rule. She moved among her scholars
a very queen, and yet so gained their
and esteem that it did not
seem to them submission TO another,s