Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-07-29

contfOl OF ner voice, 'tnat lt ism be-
cause | want you to go. / had hoped
much for you. But / cannot have the
others spoiled and the discipline of the
school broken. 80 take your place in
the middle of the room, and when you
go home
Miss Benson" said Bert, desperate
ly, "did you ever know me to tell lie p
"Then why should you think l would
tell one this timer" Bert had drawn
himself up proudly again.
"The other times you knew you would
only be punished; but this time you
knew you were at the end of your rope.
and You remembered what l threatened
last time"
miss Benson, believe me just this
once. | didn't set those rags burning,
and have not told lie," said Bert,
solemnly.
'If hadn't seen you coming out of
the empty school-room just before, and
il had not known that there was no
one else in
"There was"-said Bert, and could
have bitten his tongue out the next in
stant.
"Who?"
Bert looked at the copper toes again
in silence.
"This morning." Miss Benson con-
tinued, "when | asked if any of the
scholars knew about this matter, they
all denied but you. How did that hap
pen?"
Because some one else lied," Bert
said, to himself, but he only answered.
"Nliss Benson, had nothing to do
with it. l had just been in the room
an instant to get my top out of my desk
when you met me.
Miss Benson leaned back and looked
steadily at the boys earnest face. Just
then she glanced at her watch. Recess
time was up. She rang the bell.
You may take your seat she said
to Bert.
But Bert went and stood in the middle
of the room. Miss Benson put her
elbows on the desk and leaned her face
in her hands. When she rose, after a
few moments, and looked upon the
assembled scholars, she was very pale.
Boys" she said, "you remember
that story in the Bible about Christ
raising the widows son ?''
''Yes'm, cried chorus of voices.
"Why did He do that %
"Cause he was her only son, an she
was a widow" said one clear, steady
voice.
"Cause she felt badly, ar He was
sorry for her." said another.
t'Do you know of any one in this
room who is the only son of his mother
and she a widow ?"
All eyes turned to Bert, who was
looking sternly at them all, with blazing
blue eyes set in a white face.
"Yes'm," they answered, with little
pity in their faces.
"And can you not imagine that that
mother would feel great deal worse TO
have her boy disgraced in all his future
life than to have HIM die?"
"Yes'm." Only a few voices this
time. and eager, questioning faces.
did you ever know Bert to tell an
untruth ?"
"No'm" cried every voice.
"But it looks as if he did this NOM
ing 2"
''Yes'm y Nom p There was fairly
a battle of voices.
"You remember I said that | saw him
come ont of the room, and that no one
else was there |"
'Yes'm."
"But nevertheless, Bert says he had
nothing to do with the cayenne pepper
yesterday, and, boys, / believe him.
Now, for the sake of that widowed
v1anfhnr I opb fhn raal -
accuse himself and clear Bert"
There was a long silence.
eff any boy here knows anything
about this, let him speak"
Another silence.
Bert gave one quick, beseeching and
compelling glance at Hal Howard, who
was white and nervous.
Miss Benson saw the glance.
"For the sake of Bert's future life.
for the sake of his mother" she said,
looking straight at Hal.
Slowly, as if under a spell he could
not resist, Hal rose to his feet.
"You did it, Hal ?" said the teacher.
when she saw he could not speak.
He bowed his head
"Now tell me all about it, before the
whole school"
"I-I-was behind the door when
you came in the room, an'-an'-as you
stood with your back to me and spoke
to Bert, | slipped out and came in with
the crowd"
'Did you know this, Bert ?"
"Yes'm."
How ?"
81 saw him slip out as / was going
out with my top; an as soon as the
sneezlng began | knew who had done
it."
"And you wouldn't have told even to
save being expelled" 2"
''No, ma'am," he answered, holding
up his head, proudly.
There was breathless silence as Miss
Benson stepped from her platform and
walked over to Bert.
''Bert, l ask your forgiveness" she
said, ''for ever doubling your word.
You are an honorable boy"
Then the tears rushed to Bert's eyes.
He grasped Miss Bensons hands SO
tightly that he hurt her. He made one
effort to speak, and then suddenly broke
away from them all and dashed out of
the room.
They found him sobbing on the grass
as if his heart would break. For secret
ly he had idolized Miss Benson, and her
doubt of his word, and punishment for
thing he had not done, had hurt him
more than anything else in his life.
But that was the turning-point with
Bert.
Years afterward, when he was an