News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-08-27

ignored, and in consequence dwarfed.
Under proper treatment the germ OF man
hood could be coaxed into an attempt at
development. The boy must be led, not
driven.
81 want to talk with you," she said.
'Tm going to be frank with you. They
l tell me you have the reputation of being
the worse boy in school,"
Shouldn't wonder, said John, with a
grin. He was evidently rather proud of
the distinction.
"They tell me, too, that the School
Board has thought it necessary to pass
resolution excluding you from the school
this winter"
II don't care if they have, said John.
School don't do me no good, anyway.
There amt no fun in it."
"What do you call fun2" asked Miss
Wayne
'Oh! havin' good time" said John
after some deliberation,
Then school ought to afford you the
best kind of fun," she said. "What do
you expect to do when you get to be a
MANI"
'Dun no g expect to be anything"
answered John.
''But you would like to be something,
wouldn't YOUR
"Guess there haint much danger of old
Bill Emerson's son being much," was
the reply, with a grin But back of the
grin Miss Wayne saw little flicker of
longing, a reaching out of the boys
starved nature toward something he
never expected to possess.
''Now, John, want to tell you what
- Ia nfl1l
man, if you try. 1t all depends on that.
If you don't try you'll never be anything.
i That is plain. You know that to be SO.
It may be that circumstances have been
against you. All of us have to fight
against circumstances more or less. The
boy or man who has to fight the hardest
deserves the most credit if he wins. Now
l want to help you. I can do it if you
will let me--if you will help yourself.
They tell me you have few or no friends.
l will be your friend. want to be.
know what it is to need friendly words
and assistance. Because | knew that
from a sad experience am all the more
anxious to be friend to such as you
when find them They have voted to
keep you out of the school. | want you
to attend | can get them to consent to
your attendance if you will try to be
| good boy and take advantage of the op-
portunity. viii you do this3 viii
you prove to the neighborhood that you
are not so bad boy as they think you
to be2"
81 dunno" answered John, with
good deal of hesitation. He had never
had the matter placed before him in this
way before. 1t puzzled him.
"Th1nk it over," said Miss Wayne.
''Look at it in this way. You have a
chance to do something for yourself, to
make a start in the right direction.
feel sure you would like to be man
among men. Everybody thinks you will
never amount to anything You won't
if you don't try. Show them that you
mean to make something of yourself.
Convince them that they are wrong i'll
their estimate of you | am told that l
the other teachers have tried to govern
you by severe methods of punishment.
don't believe in that way of doing it.
! shall try to govern by kindness. If t
that fails l shall let the School Board
carry out their vote. But hope-I am
quite sure-there will be no need to refer
the matter to them. Think it over,
John, and come to school Monday morn
ing. Remember that it is for your own
good that | ask you to do this. l am
thinking of that and not of any personal
benefit | might derive from it. Look at
the matter earnestly. Think of what
you would like to be and of what YOU
will be if you neglect such opportunities
and decide to make an effort to get out
of the rut you are in. You can if you
will try. Remember that
John went home in very thoughtful
mood.
''She's queer thing" he said to him
self that night, after he had gone to
bed. "Of course she don't want me to
come to school because it'll be any good
to her, an nobody ever seemed to care
about my doin' anything that nd be fer
my good afore. Don't see why she
should care-I amt none o. her folks.
She talked real good, anyway. I'd like
to show 'em l can come to school in
spite O. their votin' I shouldn't, but
don't s'pose 'twould do any good. There
haint no chance fer me to mount to
anything. Fathers an OF drunkard.
an everybody's down on us. But it's so
what she said bout not bein' ANYTHING
if don't try. I'd like to be if l could
I'd like to show 'em amt fool. lest
cause Pm OF Bill Emerson's son."
Miss Wayne felt sure she would see
John on Monday morning, and she did.
His clothes were patched, but they were !
clean, and his face had clean look. a /
bright look, that showed an ability to ,
learn if that ability could only be awak
ened. One thing touched her that was
the defensive air that John seemed to
wear at all times. 1t told as plainly as
words could that he felt that everybody ,
was down on him." He expected to be
obliged to "stand up for his rights" at
any and all times.
1t was as Miss Wayne expected. The
children had heard their parents speak
slightingly of John, and they reflected the ,,
opinions of their parents in their treat
ment of him. She took pains to show
them that she wanted him treated an
equal in the school room. She checked
the disposition ''to run on him, " as John
expressed it. as soon as she discovered
it. She was careful to give the children
to understand, by her conduct toward
John, that she trusted him and intended
to help him all she could; that she was
his champion, in fact and that she
should resent as a personal affrOnt any
attempt to make the boys position in
the school unpleasant and disagreeable.
CLOVIS John Emerson gettin' long p
asked Squire Holcomb, after a week
had gone by.
every well," answered Miss Wayne.
'1Ie has caused me no trouble whatever
l find him to be naturally brigES quick
witted boy. l think | shall succeed in
getting him interested in study"
ooh, he's smart enough" said the
Squire, ''no mistake bout that, but he's
been brought up so. That's what's the
trouble with him"
'He is just what your boy would be
if he had no friends" said Miss Wayne.
''Mebbe that's So" said the Squire.
"But I shouldn't wonder if you had ..
trouble with him. If rou don't, it will ;;
be a merrikle." g.,
Miss Wayne expected trouble. She
saw it brewing There were scholars in
the school who felt jealous of John En-
erson and her championship of him.
From them, or through their agency,
she looked for the trouble to come. And .
it came, as she expected.
'She's the best woman ] ever knew" {
said John one day to one of the boys. {
She haint like the old teachers we've
had, allus ready to hit feler slap, ,
whether he deserved it or not.
81 s'pose you think she's a takin' {
pains to make us think she's stlekln' up {
for you, cause she really cares something {