The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-10-13
n that way. 1 mean. You may 60 to

| Gno IOOG OI your CLASS u.
..rd rather take the whipping" The
honest. upturned face was very sober,
but betrayed not the least sign of fear,
nor was there the slightest suspicion of
tremble in the clear, childish voice.
''Bless your brave little heart, ="
thought /. "Of course you would 1
might have known it," and again I
walked the aisles, up and down. think
s:You viii have to do it," repeated
the voice. ''There is no other way"
Il cannot-oh, can't" l groaned.
half aloud
The good of the school requires it.
| You must sacrifice your own feeling
| and his"
Sacrifice his feeling! Loyal little
srul = good as gold, and true as
si;.cl.''
'.No matter, you must do it,
81 won'tr'
1 walked quickly to the desk, and
struck the bell. The children looked
wOnderingly. ''Lsten to me, boys"
said 1. "You all know that Frank
Dunbar is one of our best scholars
Yes. 'm-yes, 'mr' came from all
parts of the room, but two or three of
the larger boys sat silent and unsympa-
thetic.
"You know how ambitious he is in
school, and what little gentleman, al
ways"
.'Yes. IN. That's so. We know"
Only two unsympathetic faces now; but
one of them. that of sulky boy in the
corner, looked as if its owner were
mentally saying: Cant think what
you're driving at, but I'll never give in
never"
you all know how brave he was
when Joe Willis dropped his new knife
between the boards of that unfinished
building on Corliss street. How he did
what no other boy in school would do
let himself down into the cellar, and
groped about in the dark until he found
it for him.
1--WE know that-yes, IN, Hurrah
for"
Stop a minute. One thing more"
Sulky boys companion was shouting
with the rest, and sullSy boys own face
had relaxed.
You all know" said I, show he
took care of Willie Randall when Willie
hurt himself upon the ice. How he
drew him home upon his sled, going
very slowly and carefully that poor
Willie might not be jolted. and max
ing himself late to school in conse-
quence."
Yes. IN. Yes. ma'am. Hoo-ray
for little Dunbarr' Sulky boy was
smiling now, and knew that my cause
was won.
Very WE'LL" said 1. ..Now let us
talk about to-day. He has disobeyed
me, and-of course ought to punish
him.
'.No, IN. you ou2htn't Don't pun
ish him! We don't want him whipped"
''But have given my word. 1t will
be treating you all unfairly if l break
it. He has been such. a faithful boy
that / should like very much to forgive
all willing"
Were willing. We'll give you leave.
Well forgive him. Wc'll-'
''Stop! / wanty you to think of it care
fully for minute. l am going TO
leave the matter altogether with you.
l shall do just as you say. If, at the
end of one minute by the clock, you
are sure you forgive him, raise your
hands,"
My dear, you should have seen them!
If ever there was expression in human
hands. saw it Pm theirs that day. Such
a shaking and swapping of fingers. and
an eager waving of small palms
breaking out at last into hearty, sim
ultaneous clapping, and sulky boys the
most of all
'.Disorderly." do you say? Well, per-
haps it was. We were too much in
earnest to think of that. l looked at
Frank. His blue eyes were swimming
in tears, which he would not let fall.
AS for me, 1 turned to the blackboard,
and put down some examples in long
division. If / had made all the divis-
ors larger than the dividends, or writ
ten the numerals up ,ide down, it would
not have been strange to me, under the
circumstances.
And the moral of this-concluded
Miss jenkins (she had been reading
'Alice in Wonderland)"- that a
teacher is human, and a human being
doesn't always know ust what to do.