Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-02-09
VOL. XXXVIII.

THE MAN WHO BOWED TO CHILDREN
There once lived, in small village OF
Germany, school-master named Frebo
MUS. 1t was about the year 1892. just
when America was on the point OF being
discovered. So, then. the children would
soon he obliged to study larger geog-
raphy, and bend down to lessons all about
the land and water of two hemispheres
instead of one. Frebonius was, | suppose.
as tall and large AS any man; but he had
not grown above being very respectful
oward small boys and girls-much more
respectful. think, than people in general
at that time or any time. He bowed to
them rs if they we're the size of men and
women. Perhaps some OF them would
increase with years Till they turned out to
be famous. Who could tellP The good
man who bowed used to think of such
possibilities.
Frebonus, no doubt knew people who
carried high heads, and passed the very
young folks in the street with no more
notice than if they had been so many
sheep on their way from the fold to the
pasture. He watched such persons while
they regarded the little ones in company
as if they had been pigs or chickens. l
dare say that years before, when he was
only two or three feet high, he had been
one of the rudely neglected He, little
Johnny Frebonius, had, perhaps, at some
time been going along the road, and had
met the doctor, and further on the minis
ter: and when they arrived home, neither
of these great men could tell whether he
had met Johnny or not. One was thinking
of his sermon, the other of his physic.
And now Johnny had become man
and school master, with young people
looking up to him us he used to look up to
the doctor ana the parson He did not
take the ptrt-no' ne that children were
not us good as anNbody, if they behave as
well. Were they not better than some
large folksP 1t As worth while to re-
member that the savior took in His arms
the innocents that wore frocks. while there
were some big people about Him that He
called "vip"rs Hs did not put His arms
around htm.
Suppose Frebonius sometimes bent
very low to bad 'uvs WHO turned ont bad
men: that was not His fault, but theirs
Amoug the German youngsters in that
village there NAV have been some Carl
Bretschnelder, some Wilhelm Strauss,
NOIutWu udI luCllHtu W DC lOuSu anu uu-
mannerly. 1t is not related, but it m,iy
have been the fact, that Carl or Wilhelm
came home one day and told his mother
he was standing by the market, and he
SAW Mr. Frebonius, and he was Just AS
polite to him as he could be. Carl or
Wilhelm liked that man, and felt great
desire to stand well in his opinion, and to
get rid of all rough ways that might dis
please him.
Mr.. Frebon us often gave kind word
and pleasant nod to two children, be
longing to two neighbors, as he went by
the door of one of them. One, astride
his grandpa's cane, was playing horse
very frisky steed; the other was making
mud pies. "Ah!'' said the master, "here
will be gentleman and lady by-and-
by" And he met them with bow so
respectful that they felt better than if be
had given them piece of gold. And the
good man lived to see them grow up, |
the one to be burgomaster and the |
other his smart wife. You see there was
something very proper in the salutation
given years before to the pastry cook and
the horseman. And can easily belle,
that, when any of the boys and girls met
Mr.. Frebonius, their eyes were very
bright and their manner very polite, and
that every time they saw him they felt
very respectful and very happy.
Trebonius was school master, and it |
was his habit to bow to his pupils when he
entered his school room. When some
one expressed asonishment, he said: :
There are among these boys men of
whom God will one day make burgo-
phnpnn1lpro Inntorc and
istrates. 1t is right We should treat them
with respect" One of those boys was
certain Martin Luther Christian Union..