Year: 1879

ing, we failed to hear the ringing of Mrs. Dumont's hand-bell at one o'clock. The afternoon wore on until more than an hour of school-time had passed, when some one suddenly bethought himself. We dropped the game and started, pell- nell, full of consternation for the school room. We would at that moment have preferred to face an angry school-mas- l ter with his beecken rod than to have | offended one whom we reverenced so much. The girls all sat in their places; the teacher was sitting silent and awful in her rocking chair; in the hour and half no lessons had been recited. We shufded into our seats and awaited the storm. It was the high-school, and the boys were mostly fifteen or sixteen years of age, but the school-mistress had never rod in the room. Such weapons are for people of fewer resources than she. Very quietly she talked to us, but with great emphasis. She gave no chance for explanation or apology. She was hopelessly hurt and affronted. We had humiliated her before the whole town, she said. She should take away from us the morning and afternoon re- cess for week. She would demand an explanation from us tomorrow.

 It was not possible that company of boys could be kept for half an hour in such moral sweat-box as that to which she treated us without growing angry. When school was dismissed we held running indignation meeting as we walked toward home. Of course we all spoke at once But after while the more moderate saw that the teacher had some reason. Nevertheless, one boy was appointed to draft written reply that should set forth our injured feelings. I remember in what perplexity that com mittee found himself. With every hour he felt more and more that the teacher was right and the boys wrong, and that by the next morning the reviving affec- tion of the scholars for the beloved and venerated school-mistress would cause them to appreciate this. So that the ad- dress which was presented for their sig natures did not breathe much indigna- tion. can almost recall every word of that somewhat pompous but very sim cere petition. It was about as I give it here

 l "HoNoRED MADAM: .....- l In regard to our of l fense of yesterday we beg that you will do us the justice to believe that it was not inten- tional. We do not ask you to remit the pun tshment you have inflicted in taking away our recess, but we do ask you to remit the heavier penalty we have incurred, your own dis | pleasure.

 The boys all willingly signed this ex- cept one who was perhaps the only con- scious offender of the party. He con- fessed that he had observed that the sun was getting little slanting while we were at play, but as his side '' had the paddles" he did not say anything until they were put out. The unwilling boy wanted more indignation in the address,

 and he wanted the recess back. But when all the others had signed he did not dare leave his name off but put it at the bottom of the list.

 With trembling hands we gave the paper to the school-mistress. How some teachers would have used such paper as means of further humiliation to the offenders How few could have used it as she did The morning wore on with out recess. As the noon hour drew near, Mrs. Dumont rose from her chair

 and went into the library. We all felt

 that something was going to happen.

 She came out with copy of Shakes

 peare, which she opened at the fourth

 scene of the fourth act of the second part of King Henry W. Giving the book to

 my next neighbor and myself she bade

 us read the scene, alternating with the change of speaker. You remember the famous dialogue in that scene between the dying king and the prince who has prematurely taken the crown from the bedside of the sleeping king. It was all wonderfully fresh to us and to ou,

 school-mates, whose interest was divided between the scene and curiosity as to , the use the teacher meant to make of it. At length the reader who took the kings part read 70 my son!

 Heaven put it in thy mind to take it hence, That thou mightst win the more thy fathers , love,

 Pleading so wisely in excuse of It.

 Then she took the book and closed it. The application was evident to all, but she made us touching little speech full of affection, and afterward restored the recess. She detained the girls when we

 had gone to read to them the address, 5 that she might "show them what noble 3 brothers they had" Without doubt she 3 made overmuch of our nobleness. But B no one knew better than Mrs. Dumont ] that the surest way of evoking the bes ] in man or boy, is to make the most O. : the earliest symptoms of it. From tha : hour our school-mistress had our whole f hearts; we loved her and reverencei her.

 Q Three Noble Avenues.