Year: 1863

tected lad. lie spoke not WORD. All
the school had their eyes directed at him.
The prespirasion ran down his white fore
head like rain-drops.


Speak, sir = exclaimed Lugare, with
a loud stroke of his rattan on the desk.


The boy looked as though he would
faint. But the unmcrciful teacher, conf
dent of having brought to light a criminal
and cxulting in the idea Of the severe
chas;iscment he sh ould now be justified in
inAicting, kept working himself up to a
still greater and greater degree ofpassion.
In the meantime, the child seemed hardly
10 know what to do with himself. His
tongue clcaved to the roof Of his mouth
either he was very much frightened, or
he was actually unwcll.


Speak, say again Numbered Lug
are; and his hand, gras ping his rattan,
lowered above his head in very signif-
cant manner.


/ hardly can, sir said the poor fellow
family. His voice was husky and thick
Il will tell you somc-some other time.
Please to let me 90 to my seat amt
WELL


'Oh yes, that's very likely;' and Mr..
I.ugare buged out his nose and checks
with contempt DO you think 10 make
me bclisve your lies I've found you out
sir, plainly enough and am satisfied
that you are as picsous a little villain as
there is in the Statc. But will postpone
setting W ib yon for an hour yet. | shall
then call you up again; and if you don't
tell the whole truth then, I'll give you
something that'll make you remember Mr.
Nichols's melons for many month to
come go TO your scat.


Glad enough of the uDgracious permis-
son. and answering not a sound, tn,
child crept treml Ing to his bench RI.
felt very strangely, dizzily ly-more as if he
was in dream AN in r. al life and lay.
ing his arms on is desk, bowed down his
face between them. The pupils turned to
their accustomed studies, for during the
rcgl of Ludarc in the village school, they
had been so used to scenes of violence and
severe cha,tiscment, that such things made
but little interruption in the tenor OF their
way.


Now, while the Intervening hour is
passing, We will clear up the mystery Of
the bag. and of young Barker being under
the gnrden-fencc on the preceding night
The boys mother wa. widow, ond they
both had to live in the narrowesl limits
His father died when he was six years
old, and little Tim was left sickly, ema-
lated infant who no one expected to live
many months. TO the surprise of all,
however, the poor little child kept alive,
and seemed 10 recover his health, as he
certainly did his size and good looks
This was owing to the kind Offices of an
eminent physician who had a country-seat
in the neighborhood, and who had been
interested in the widows little family
Tim, the physician said. might possibly
outgrow his disease but everything was
uncertain. 1t was mysterious and baf-
fling malady; and it would not be Won
dcrful if he should in some moment of ap-
parent health be suddenly taken away.


The poor widow was at first in a con.
tinual state of uneasiness; but several
years had now passed, and none of the
impending evils had fallen upon the boy S
head. His mother seemed confident that
he would live, and be help and an honor
to old age {; and the two struggled on to-
gether, and enduring much Of poverty and
discomfort without rcpinng each for the
others sake.


Tins pleasant disposition had made
him many friends in the village, and
among the rest a farmer named Jones
who with his eldest brother, worked a
large farm in the neghborhood on shares
Jones very frequently made Tim a pres
ent ofa bag of potatoes or corn, or some
garden vegetables, which he took from bis
own stock but as his partner was par
simonious, hightempered man and had Of
ten said that Tim was an idle fellow, and
ought not to be helped because he did MOI
work, Jones generally made his gifts in
such manner that no one knew anything
about them, except himself and the CRATE
full kindness 1t might be too, that the
widow was loath 10 have it understood by
the neighbors that she received food from
any one for there is often an excusabl'
pride in people al her condition whicl
makes them shrink from being considered
as objects of charity as they would from