Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-10-26
The AWAKENING
OF CALEB.

He was lame, and his pigeon-toed
halt called forth the ridicule of his
playmates. The boys did not mean to
be unkind when they laughed at Caleb.
They were thoughtless. Thoughtless
boys are nearly always kind boys
when they are aroused, but it usually
takes something akin to an earthquake
to wake them up.
Caleb was poor. He had grown too
fast and was distressingly awkward.
He never knew his lessons. He did
not pay attention and was continually
in disgrace. All these things could
have been forgiven him, had he not
been untidy. His hands were always
grimy and his face was always
smudged; his clothes were unwashed
and his hair uncombed.
In the two-roomed house which he
called home and shared with seven
other children, Caleb slept in the dry
goods box that served as table. The
box was turned with the open side to-
ward the door. When the boy rose
in the morning he was ready for
breakfast, if there was any, and if
there was none he went out of the
door and seldom returned until time
to go to bed.
At school the teachers tried to i'm
prove his personal habits, but at last
gave up and put him in all isolated
seat in the corner. One autumn a
slender girl took the reins of school
government in her hands. She did
not look equal to the stirring western
school of eighty pupils, and the
patrons said SO, one to another.
Of all these things Miss Wolcott
was serenely ignorant, and as the
school days went by the rough boys
grew less rough and the rude girls
.ess rude. She examined Caleb's
grimy fnger-marked copybook and
aid her hand on his unkempt curls.
''You can do better than that,
Caleb" she said. "Run and wash
your hands"
The boy looked up doggedly.
"There isn't any towel" he said.
81 will give You one."
He was gone long time Miss
Wolcott went in search OF him and
found him gazing ruefully at his black
paw marks>on the snowy linen.
'"rry little more soap and water.
Caleb" said Miss Wolcott. He did,
and the effect was pleasing to him, for
he smiled broadly and gazed long at
his white hands.
'Take this fresh page of your copy
book and see how nice you can keep
it," said Miss Wolcott.
The next day he splashed about in
.he wash basin without being told to
do So He applied water and soap to
his face and surprised every one, HIM
self included. Day by day the pages
Of the copybook grew winter aud the
letters neater. One morning he took
off his coat and proudly displayed his
shirt. 81 washed it myself" he said.
cit looks very nice," said Miss
Wolcott, smiling brightly at him.
"Here is little comb which I want
you to have" He did not thank her,
but stood first on one foot and then
on the other and smiled, showing his
even white teeth. He learned his les
sons and was no longer looked upon
as simple minded. " hen the examlna-
ton reports were sent home he stood
near the head of the list.
"How do you like your new teacher,
Ca'eb?" asked the janitor one day.
Things aren't like they used to
be-" he said. ''Miss Wolcott is kind
to fellow and never knocks him
about or says mean things to him
once
''She will if you go to acting up"
Caleb smiled and half closed his
dark eyes. "We'll see," he said
aloud, and to himself. ST shan't act
up"
The date for the annual exhibition
of school work drew near. Hundreds
of sheets of paper were to be neatly
lined with red ink. Miss Wolcott grew
weary.
"Who can help me?" she asked her
self. "No one," and she went on rul-
ing.
On Saturday morning Caleb ap-
peared at Miss Wolcott's door. His
face and hands were clean and every
curl was crisp and tight.
'.Let me help you rule the papers,
Miss Wolcott," he said.
She was very tired and felt at first
annoyed that she should have to oe
bothered with the boy. Then her true
self rose above the weariness and she
realized that it might be her oppor-
tunity to help the friend.ess child. So
she gave him work on condition that
he did not spoil many sheets. He
worked rapidly and neatly. The next
Saturday he helped Miss Wolcott
carry all of the dainty ribbon-tied
essays, stories aud written recitations
to the schoolroom.
'The papers are all SO nice. They
are worth great deal to me, Caleb. I"
said Miss Wolcott as she closed the
schoolroom door.
That night the fire whistle rang its
terrifying chromatic scale. Miss VOL