Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-02-21
TOMMY" !"
Continued from last week.

{Continued from last week)
It is well known that the scale OF the
Government grant to school is deter
mined to large extent by attendan-
ces. was therefore most scrupulous
to mark these and the absences IN
accordance with fact. Indeed one or
two of the board were detailed to call
occasionally and check my entries. 1
found that my scrupulousness gave
dissatisfaction. If child attended
half day, I might surely stretcn
noint and make it whole attendance.
when the weather was bad, some al.
Eowance must be made for that, ana
tine children not be deprived OF a
nasrar when it was practically impossi-
he for them to attend; besides-and
here lay the sting-l was adding
penny to the rates by my nlceity IN
this matter, and was not considering
either the pockets OF the ratepayers or
nv own, as half the grant would pe
allowed to the master.
Inow resolved to devote myself TO
the fulfillment of the educational de-
partment acquisitions with all my ear
nestness. soon found that to do so
was to commit the greatest injustice
of all, for would force on the clever
and neglect the stupid; would cult
yate the few at the expense OF the
MANY. found, however, that this
was likely to crafty the inspector ana
obtain the largest grant, ana tnat tne
greater the wrong done to the bulk OF
the scholars, the greater the satisfac-
ton piven at Whitehall. was too
conscientious to do this, which would
have gained mefthe approval OF the IN
spector and the support OF the Doafo.
There was poor old widow VINO
lived near the school, half blind, near
| ly wholly deaf, crippled with rheuma-
tism, living only on the parish hall
crown and loaf, and the sale OF lew
eggs and poultry she reared. She had
i nearly white hair; the cataract IN her
| ewes made them blear, ezd gave va
| can't expression to her face. How the
| unfortunate creature managed to live
through the winter was q wonder 10
! me, as she was too poor to be able 70
afford fuel, and too blind te collect
| sticks. This unfortunate ereatase was
the object of mockery to the Eh~con'
ditioned boys of the school, WSe ts2y'
ed ON her numerous practical jokes
At one time they stole her eggs aad
| sucked them, at another they peated
and killed her goslings. They carried
away her little winter store OF hre"ooo
to make their Guy Fawyes bonhre
They pelted her with snowballs. One
day they laid moose on the grouno
before her, and when she unwittingly
mt her stick into the loop, they pulie6
F. t;ghtened the moose about the stat
and whipped it out OF her hand' x
that she fell on her face in the road
which was newly metaled. The aget
woman was unable to rise wlthou
assistance, and then it was fount
that her forehead was cut and bleeding
and that she had broken her remain
1 ing teeth. -, =. a.;
anton piece of wickedness, and CAV
tf,t IN a good hiding. My blood boiie'
4 TStiI indignation. There were nv
- concerned in the matter-th
ssSa.. who had killed her goslings II
Az s.,, ing and had stolen her tirewoo
1 in Move mber
4 Thm q. tiled matters.
! The 01e. nse had been commit'eG on on
/ of school L tours ana out ol so+ioo 'e
| bounds. 1 ha d no lurlsdiction owe ".
| the bows when they left the preclhc'
| OF the school. was summoned Q
| all the parents of the boys l mao ci.as la
tised. and bad to appear before IN
4 magistrates in the petty sessions
4 was unable to obtain an aavocaiV, ~ ~
4 ing without the means OF paying Il
j one. The plaintiffs yer. aply repr,
4 septed by local solicitors. y nafro";l =
\ picture was painted of N leIocnI ,,i
4 and the tortures to which | i'au 't ~
j iected the boys. The conditio " VI "
parts of their person operated Up ~,
was described graphically, and o'
4 highly charged with color.
/ defended myself to the best of L
ability. The magistrates then pro
| nounced sentence. The chairman
said that the case was proved agains
me; that there was no doubt L hat
exceeded my power, and had actet
with injudicious and intemperate VIC
lence. The laws OF England were no
framed for the protection OF the wea!
and helpless. The old woman,
aggrieved, was able to prosecute thos
who had wronged her. Gas if she wa
capable of doing so! AS if in he
blindness she could find out the GU
pritsD y The laws of England did nc
encourage Quixotic interference il
behalf of the old, infrm, and pool
thev discouraged it in every way
There could be no doubt that l ha
acted in manner wholly unjustifiabl
and illegal. The Bench, therefore, o
mature deliberation, had resolved
fine me H2 for each assault, and cost:
that amounted to E10, Is. cd. l pai
the money. | had that morning n
ceived nv discharge from the schoC
committee. and my salary for the qua
ter. paid the fine, and found that
was left with SD. in my poe ket.
AS / walked away, reviewed m
. conduct. In all had done, l had 10
flowed the dictates OF conscience.
had tried to be honorable, truthful
and to do good. I had been Tomm
in that situation. Would Harry hay
tried to make the dirty children clea
Nj and the ribald children godly? Woul
he have eschewed tricks, savorlng
dishonesty, towards parents and boar'
Would he have interfered to prote
the old widow? Would he not rath
;, have shut his eyes and passed by
the other side? l was sure OF it; al
was sure also that he would ha
been favorite with the parents, wou
have ingratiated himself into the go
will of the committee, would ha
obtained a glowing report from t
inspector, and a large grant fro
Whitehall. was quite sure also II
he would never have been had up
fore the magistrates for the protecti
of the feeble and helpless, and wol
not have been dismissed his post w
iqnominy. No! he would never ha
taken the post with the stipulati
that 1t should be con trial.; and If
had been required to leave it, wo'
:. have walked away with quarters I
earned salary in his pocket, and Il
like me, with three-pence, three
thingsl
No! Harry, on resignlng ,
sphere OF usefulness, where he
discharged his duties with such exc
plary faithfulness as TO win the adj
ration of ALL" would have been p
sented with an electro-plate crl
stand by the rector, timepiece
~ the committee, and half-a-dozen spo
and forks by the parents
The only person who at all fayo
me- was the rector, and only in til