Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-12-24

natural capacity of this strong, un-
spoiled race of mountain people.
BURNS AND THE BOY WHO WAS ALONE
IN THE WORLD.
was witness of a scene in Mr..
Burns little office one early morn
ing that shows the spirit of the
whole place. A tall, pleasant faced
mountain man came in followed by
a rudy lad of about eleven years.
He briefly stated that this was a
boy who was alone in the world and
had nobody to look after him. Mr..
Burns and the mountain man spoke
few brief words about the case.
| looked at the boy. His face and
physique would make glad the heart
of any lover of eugenics. though
his clothes would break the heart of
any child's outftter. The shirt was
mans shifted off little in the
sleeves, and the trousers were for
boy at least four years older, and they
hung desolateIy to his ankles. There
WASH anything else on him. He
was not abashed nor cringing, but
smiling, looked into my face while
they were talking about him. Fin
ally Mr.. Burns said, "All right,
put him in the day school for the
summer and in the fall we will see
what we can do for him."
The tall man bowed and started
out of the door. and the boy after
him; but just at the door the lad
turned and, with look of fearless
confidence at Mr.. Burns, he said,
But, M. Burns, | amt got no
Clothes"
Again | saw that quivering at the
corners of this great mans mouth
as he said, That's all right, my
boy; guess we can take care of
the clothes"
That is James Anderson Burns
spirit. These people are Gods
children, and he has the faith to
think God will use him to take care
of them and lead. them to a better
day.
Though he is compelled to spe nd
so much time away from Oneida
seeking funds for its support, Mr.
Burns regards each scholar as a
personal responsibility. On that
ever-to-be-forgotten commence
ment morning as he stood to ad-
dress the graduating class, he said
The saddest part of any years
school work for me has always been
telling good by to the senior Glass;"
then followed a beautiful pathetic
little message calling each by name,
warning each of his special dangers,
and reminding each that he carried
the good name Of Oneida with him.
He closed with these words.
If this institution should go out
Of existence this minute, and never
come again, every dollar that has
been spent here has been paid
for thousand times by the change
it has produced. The outlook for the
institution was never 50 bright be-
fore, the Lord has given US new
friends each day, and all over thi;
country from theAtlantic to thePaci
! fic, and even across the sea, there are
/ men and women who pray for this in
stitution. A short time ago | had {
letter from q chaplain in the army
, he said, ! have two of your boys ii
) the army, and they are the best
, boys | have | never heard of thi
: man, and suppose he never heard d
me-. except from those two boys
but evidently they took with then
| the spirit of this work and loyalty
| to their training"
t And as we filed out of that bald
, ing l said to myself, And We shall
: know the truth, and the truth shall
: make you free" Christ's trutl
= lodged in this mans generous sou
and through him all this mountain
, people are being made free from
4 violence and ignorance. More thai
! that they are entering into tina
t freedom of the Son which is free
S dom indeed.
: The January American Magazine.