The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-05-29
When Johnny Went to School.

Johlny Newton's first day at school
was very hard. The first day at
school is apt to be trying when you are
a 7-year-old boy who has always been
too delicate heretofore to go to kinder
garten even. Johnny felt so lonely
and so homesick as he sat there, try
ing to eaten up with the other chill
dren, who had all entered school in the
autumn instead af waiting until we'll
along toward spring, that he simply
couldn't help crying.
And OF course, after that, bigger
boy in the same room laughed at him
at recess, and Johnny, who was only to
attend schol half of each day for
some time, ran home to his mother,
crying harder than ever.
But Johnny's mother was firm in de-
claring that he must go to school reg
ularly, just the same. Her promises
that he would surely like going to
school later doesn't console him much,
but the big hug and kiss she gave him
when he started off after lunch COM
forted him greatly. And four days lat
er the promises about liking school
later came true.
For three long, long days Johnny
was the newest pupil, and as lonesome
and wretched as ever. But on the
fourth day there came little girl who
had been too delicate and sickly to at
tend kindergarten, and she, too, was
so lonely and so homeslck that she
cried.
Johnny felt so surprised and queer
to see any one cry in school, even
though he had been attending only
three days, that he quite understood
how strange and amusing he must
have seemed to the bigger boy who
had laughed at him. But he was so
sorry for the little girl that he walked
home with her after recess, and when
it was time to enter school in the af-
ternoon he met her at the door and
went into the big, quiet building with
her.
Next day as she was nice little girl
and very sweet and gentle he went to
her house and walked to school with
her, and the next day the teacher let
them have seats together. And after
that
Well, after that lot of things hap
pened, all of them pleasant, and 1t
wasn't until Johnny's mamma had
company to luncheon, nearly twoweek
afterward, that Johnny remembered
that he hadn't always known the lit
tie girl.
well, Johnny" asked the visitor,
chow are you getting on at school"
Johnny blushed and was silent, but
his mamma answered for him.
Johnny didn't like school very well
at first" she said, smiling, "but I
haven't heard so much about it of late.
You do like school now, don't you'
Johnny?'
"Why, yes, mamma" answered
Johnny. slowly, surprised when he
came to think of it. Il do do like
scnool-a whole lot, mamma. And
I'm learning lots and lots of things
there, too!''
81 know you are, dearie," smiled his
mamma, patting his shoulder. i
know of one very nice and useful les
son you learned the fourth day."
She didn't explain, as company was
present, that she was glad because ne
had learned that to try and make some
one else comfortable and happy is the
surest way of being oneself, but you
and I know that she meant it. And
Johnny, although he doesn't yet know
how much he learned when he made
up his mind to try and comfort the
lonely, homesick little girl, knows just
how he will try to act next time he is
wretched and unhappy himself.-Chlca-
| 90 Record Herald