Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-10-16
A MORE EXCELLENT WAY.

Here, you young rascal drop tha
this minute"
The tone was stern enough TO enforc,
obedience of itself, but the speaker addeC
emphasis by seizing the miscreant by tht
collar and giving him thorough shak.
ing. i, was small boy, thin, anc
s,arved-looking, with many patches or
his poor clothing and not few rags that
til,,er,d as he swung in the grasp of the
strong, well-dressed youth who held him.
But his grimy fingers never looscd then
hold Of the disputed object, and his onl,
care seemed to be to keep it from injury.
His eyes fairly blszed with passion as be
screamed:
LET 20 of me, Rick Markham. II
S no business Of yours, and if you
make me break it | will kill you for
II some iime-see if | don't. Let 90,
.ay." -
1t was an odd contest, and the boys
gathered around, full of interest, to soe
what would happen, though, Of course.
they knew that the little fellow could not
nold out long.
Give it to him, Rick :" shouted out
some, shake the dirty little beggar out
Of his boots"
Stick to it, Toby" cried others, to
keep up the fun "fndin' hayin' if you
can only keep EN-"
d" Boys, boys What is all this dis
,urbance: :" inquired Miss Lawrence, the
teacher. hurrying to the scene. " Haven t
forbidden fighting times enough"
Yes, ma am" answered Markham,
but this is not real fight. Toby
briggs stole Ray Burgess toy balloon,
and was trying to make him give il
up, bu, be would not, and so you see
that cannot take it away without break
i1g it,
Careful, careful" said the teacher,
gently "stole is an ugly word. Do not
say it unless YOU are sure.
"well, am sure, Miss Lawrence, for
| saw him myself. He watched where
Ray laid it when some Of the boys called
him to play tag. and went and got it and
vas making off as fast as ever he could
when | caught him.
CHARLES" said Miss Lawrence grave
ly-she never called him by that hateful
nickname. Toby" | thought you were
growing TO be one Of my best boys, and
now you pay me in this way for trusting
you. You canno, be my friend if you do
snch things. Now make it as near righ,
as you can. Go and give Ray his balloon
Al once"
The child's eyes had been fixed upon
hers as though he dreaded each word as
II fell, while his face grew whittier and
more set. As she ceased stony def
4nce settled over it, He moved not one
step.
Charles" she said, after a long
pause Of wonder at the stubbornness OF
this boy, who had lately obeyed her ev-
eiy word, and perplexi,y as to the best
course in case he continued obstinate.
are you not going to obey me ?
mo, ma am" replied the boy, slowly,
Il didn't steal it, and | won't give it up
to him-not if you kill me-"
Miss Lawrence was astounded, though
no sign of the fact appeared.
"Very WE'LL" she remarked, quietly,
looking at her watch. 1--WE have 70
more time to spend with this affair now.
Go into the school room, all of you, and
take your seats. will attend to it af-
ter the session. Charles need have no
recitstions. He can take his time to
think"
The sunbeams stole in through the
school. window, marking, as they
moved from desk to desk, the passage OF
the hours. Pleasant summer hours they
were. Bees hummed through them. birds
sang. and sleepy windle,s swung in leafy
branches, but two hearts in that room
were too heavy to heed.
Charles briggs sat stolid and determ-
ined.' watching the door furtively. and
calculating his chance Of escape. for to
this plan his "thinkin" had evidently
brought him. But too many eyes were
upon him, and, spite of the teachers ef.
forts to prevent, many fingers were point
ed at him, and many cruel little tongues
whispered Thief"
All what a wild beast instinct il is
that SO common one to hunt the suspected
or unfortunate. either Of human or dumb
creatures, the very ones that should
rouse the Chris,-like yearning to shelter
them.
Miss Lawrence watched snxiously.
She felt that there was something unac-
countable in the boys sudden stubborn
ness and in the value he seemed to set
upon simple toy. She found him, at
her entrance into the school, idle, will
ful, disorderly. as neglected children SC
often are, but he had been easily won
and had tried earnestly and constantly
to improve. This outbreak was puzzling
and discouraging, like so many of the
cases teachers have to deal with. Some
times they find the key to the mystery
oftener it is entirely out of their reach,
and they have to blunder along blindly,
doing what circumstances compel, and
feeling that, after all, it is not the right
way, although the only one possible to
them.
| What weary af,ernoon-would it
never end {, At last the sunlight slipped
L L ell