THE CHARITY SCHOOL.
AS we have already stated, Mr. Byers was very fond of children, and in
return, the children were greatly attached to him. In his walks over
the hills and along the seashore, he was never without companions,
first and foremost among whom, ranked the Greysons and Grimsbys. As
the years passed on, his followers increased so rapidly in stature
and wisdom, that the old man often contemplated them in silent
astonishment, more particularly little Tommy, who, from a tender
yearling, had progressed to a stout little fellow of some three or four
years, and scorning longer to be a mere portable, used his powers of
locomotion to great advantage.
As Mr. Byers was deeply impressed with a sense of his own moral
responsibility, he endeavored at all times to instruct as well as amuse
the children. He discoursed to them very learnedly upon the nature
and habits of shell-fish--directed their young minds to the untiring
industry of the wild-bees, and at one time occupied their attention a
full half hour, with a lecture upon the rise and progress of mushrooms,
which was occasioned by finding a mammoth specimen in a swampy hollow.
For these reasons, the appearance of Mr. Byers at nightfall, was a
matter of no slight interest to the young people of the village, and
he was seldom seen, at that time, without a large group of children
about him, of all sizes and colors. The good old man received all, and
rejected none, although there were several among his followers who were
highly objectionable. Prominent among these was a big boy of fifteen,
familiarly known among the children as “black Jake.” To the little
ones, his very personal appearance rendered him an object of terror,
but the older children had far more forcible reasons for their aversion
to him. He had several times been in the House of Correction, and would
have been there oftener, had he not managed to escape the vigilance
of the law. He smoked and swore as freely as a much older person, and
was always ready for any sort of desperate undertaking. There seemed,
however, to be more of mischief than malice in his composition, for
although he was constantly playing tricks upon his companions, yet he
was very careful not to do them any personal injury, and if he robbed
them of anything in sport, he was ready to restore fourfold the next
moment. Only when his temper was fairly aroused, was black Jake
perfectly formidable, and then he was a very lion. Few grown people
dared oppose his wrath at such times, for he was entirely reckless as
to what he did. For several weeks he had attended the village school,
but after creating a general rebellion, and whipping the master, he
turned his back with contempt upon the halls of learning, and took
to the more congenial employment of hunting and fishing. In some
unaccountable way he had become the possessor of a gun, and it was his
constant companion night and day. He was continually prowling about the
woods in search of game, and oftentimes the school girls, upon their
berrying excursions, had been frightened half out of their wits by
the sudden discharge of Jake’s fowling piece close to their ears, or
equally alarmed by his springing from the bushes directly among them
when they least thought him near.
At one time, a benevolent minister in the village had taken him under
his especial protection, in the hopes of reforming and regenerating
him; but he finally dismissed him in despair, declaring openly that he
believed the boy was “totally depraved.” After this fall from favor,
Jake’s last estate was worse than his first, and he was left by friends
and foes to work out his own destiny.
Of course, therefore, it was with no slight regret that Mr. Byers
beheld Jake among his little company, but he said nothing, for there
were several others of the same stamp, and he could by no means reject
them. His heart was drawn out with the tenderest sympathy towards
the little group that surrounded him, and, to use the language of
Scripture--“he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep
without a shepherd.” Night and day he was continually revolving in his
mind some benevolent purpose concerning them, and finally, a suggestion
presented itself, which he readily accepted. Without delay he hastened
to Hesper and laid his plan before her.
“Look here,” he said, as he came into the kitchen and found her
alone, “I have an excellent project in view, but I want you to help
me;--the fact is, I can’t do anything without your assistance. I will
tell you what it is: As I was walking with the children to-night, I
thought all at once that you, and I, and a few others, could open an
evening charity school, so that all these poor children who couldn’t
or wouldn’t go to school in the daytime, could have an opportunity to
learn which otherwise they would not. Now what do you think of it?
Isn’t it an excellent idea? Come, say yes, directly,” said the old man,
with great animation.
“Well, yes,” replied Hesper, thoughtfully, “but, then, we shall want a
hall and lights, and books and stationery.”
“O, never mind that!” said Mr. Byers--“that’s just nothing as a
hinderance. We can easily get all we want somehow.”
“But how?” said Hesper.
“O, now don’t be discouraging,” said the old man entreatingly, “for I
have really set my heart upon this matter. If you will only just take
right hold, and stir round, and talk to one and another, it will come
all right, I haven’t a doubt.”
Hesper smiled, and made no farther objection; but this was exactly the
way with Mr. Byers. He was excellent at planning, but never good at
execution, therefore nearly all his benevolent projects fell through
before they could be carried into effect. Hesper felt very much
interested, however, in his present plan, and determined that it should
not fail for want of effort upon her part.
The very next day she set herself about the work. The first one she
applied to was Dr. Smiley, who approved highly of the movement, and
offered her the use of his large hall in the village, free of expense.
She next went to Capt. Clark, who agreed to furnish the school with
lights, and then she started a subscription paper to obtain money for
the books and stationery. This was a great deal for her to do, but the
good result which was like to be accomplished, inspired her, and she
pressed forward without hesitation.
When aunt Betsey heard of this movement, she said she thought Hesper
was making herself publicly ridiculous, and at the first convenient
opportunity, she asked her what she expected to get for instructing
such a set of “poor, miserable, rag-a-muffins.”
“Nothing,” replied Hesper, “except the satisfaction of doing a good
deed.”
Aunt Betsey dropped her work and regarded her with a look of silent
astonishment.
“Hesper Greyson,” she said at length, “I believe you are half crazy,
and you needn’t be angry with me for saying it, but I can’t help
thinking that you only do this to make yourself popular; just like some
of those missionary women and tract distributors, who are continually
running about from house to house and doing anything but minding their
own business. But, however, every one to their liking. If you choose
to make a fool of yourself you may, but as to buying books for those
miserable creatures to double into dog’s ears and daub with their dirty
fingers, I tell you I won’t give the first copper towards it.”
“O,” said Hesper, with a look of smiling satisfaction, “there’s no
need of it, for people have been very liberal, and we have already
sufficient funds to commence with. Even poor Mrs. Wilkins gave me two
dollars without hesitation, and said she felt it a privilege to do so.”
“Debby Wilkins!” exclaimed aunt Betsey, with a look of contempt. “Well
now, I do declare! She had much better have kept her money and bought
herself a new bonnet, for I must say, that her old one is a disgrace
to any Christian woman, more especially one who attends church so
regularly. Two dollars! Well I suppose she thought you would tell of
it, and she wasn’t mistaken either. Dear me! what won’t some people do
for the sake of popularity?”--and aunt Betsey resumed her sewing again
with great diligence.
The school at length was fully commenced, and there was a much larger
attendance than had been expected. Not only did the children come,
but also many of their parents, and teachers were in great demand.
Even Fred and Charlie Greyson, with the Grimsby boys, were of great
assistance in this respect, for they could, at least, teach the
alphabet, although it often happened that some of their pupils were
much older than themselves. It was no unusual thing to see little
Charlie standing by the side of a good natured old colored lady--who
wore both cap and spectacles--and as he slowly pointed out the letters
with his little ruddy finger, she repeated them after him with great
care. The school was not only composed of pupils of every age, size and
color, but also of many nations, but everything went on harmoniously,
and their improvement was rapid.
There was one, however, who notwithstanding various invitations, stood
aloof from this arrangement, and resisted all efforts to draw him into
it. This one was black Jake, and Mr. Byers at length concluded that as
he would be more trouble than he was worth, it was best to give him up.
Hesper was more hopeful however, and longed for an opportunity to speak
with him, which she found it very difficult to obtain.
One day, however, as she was crossing the brook between her own home
and aunt Nyna’s, she spied Jake on the bank, skinning a rabbit which he
had killed a short time previous. His gun and a bunch of dead birds lay
on the ground beside him.
“Dear me, Jake!” said Hesper, as she stopped suddenly--“what a nice
parcel of birds you have! Did you kill them all this morning?”
“Yes, every one;” said Jake, briefly, as he continued his operations.
“And what a fine fat rabbit, too! Why, I declare, you are quite a
sportsman!”
Jake looked up with a smile--“Yes,” said he, “this is a nice little
fellow, and will make a first rate dinner for me. Won’t you please,
Miss Hesper, to just hold him by the legs, while I pull the skin off
over his back? There, that’s it. Thank you.”
“Why, Jake!” said Hesper, as she let go of the little creature with
a secret shudder--“you did that in a real scientific manner. I don’t
believe I could possibly have done it myself.”
“Ah!” said Jake, with a gratified look, “there is everything in knowing
how.”
“Yes,” replied Hesper, “we all have to live and learn, and there are
none of us so wise but what we can learn many things of one another.
But that makes me think, Jake--why don’t you come to our evening
school? We should be glad to have you.”
“Because I don’t want to,” he replied decidedly, “and what’s more, I
won’t. I haven’t been to school since I licked the master, and if I
should go again, it wouldn’t be three weeks before I should do the
same, and that would be the end on’t.”
“But, Jake,” said Hesper, pleasantly--“I should be your teacher, and
you wouldn’t lick me, would you?”
The rude boy looked up to her face with a broad grin.
“Lick you!” he repeated, while his countenance assumed an expression as
though the idea was perfectly preposterous; “I would sooner cut off my
right hand first--and what’s more, if I saw any fellow lift his finger
against you, or even make an ugly face at you, I’d skin him as quick as
I did this rabbit.”
“Then Jake,” said Hesper, “you are just the one I want, for sometimes I
have a great deal of trouble, and I need a good friend to stand by me
so you’ll come to-night, won’t you?”
“I don’t know about it,” said Jake, with some hesitation--“When I get
among the white boys they call me a nigger, and that makes me so mad I
could kill ‘em with a good will.”
“Jake,” said Hesper, as she laid her hand on his shoulder and looked
him earnestly in the face, “if you’ll be my friend, I’ll be yours, and
whoever treats you unkindly, it shall be all the same as if it were me.
The Good Father, up there in heaven, cares nothing for the color of the
skin. It is the heart alone he looks at, and therefore I shall do the
same. We should all love one another in this world like brothers and
sisters, Jake, so don’t turn away from me when I want to do you good,
but I pray you, try my friendship a little while, and if it does not
satisfy you then seek something better.”
Jake dropped his rabbit upon the ground, and looked up to her with
tears in his eyes.
“Miss Hesper,” he said earnestly, “I believe you are a good angel, for
nobody ever spoke so to me before. If you’ll only be kind to me and
love me all the time as you do now, I’ll go to school or anywhere, and
do just as you want me.”
There was a convincing earnestness in his manner, and Hesper felt
that she had touched the right chord in a nature which had long been
misunderstood.
“That’s right, Jake!” she said, as she clasped his hand with heartfelt
sincerity. “Let me see you then at the hall to-night, and I will do all
I can to make you happy.”
With a light heart and smiling countenance she turned to pursue her way
again, but had not proceeded far, when Jake came running after her.
“Miss Hesper,” said he, “wouldn’t you like to have these birds for your
dinner? they are all quails and wood-pigeons, and you will find them
nice eating.”
“I shouldn’t like to rob you, Jake,” said Hesper, as she looked at the
birds, which she really did not want.
“O please do take them!” he said entreatingly. “I’ll dress them all
nicely, and wash them in the brook, and carry them up to your house
myself, if you only say so.”
“Well, Jake,” replied Hesper, without further hesitation, “I shall be
greatly obliged to you if you will, and I will cook them as nicely as
possible.”
Away flew Jake again to the brook, perfectly delighted, and Hesper
continued on her way.
There was no small commotion in the school that evening, when black
Jake made his appearance among them. He regarded the whole assembly
with a look of defiance, but the moment he drew near Hesper, he seemed
to soften and bend immediately beneath the glance of her gentle eye.
For the first few evenings he did very well, and then he grew restless
and uneasy, but Hesper watched him closely, and by her unvarying
kindness and attention, she at length succeeded in calling up all the
powers of his better nature. Then nothing could keep him from the
school, and he made more rapid improvement than any of the others.
Before many weeks, the Charity School became a very popular thing, and
visitors came pouring in from all quarters. Among them aunt Betsey at
length made her appearance. At first she only came just within the
door, and with her spectacles upon her nose, she surveyed the whole
school with a sharp, half-contemptuous gaze. Then she drew her dress
close about her, and passed along to the place where Hesper was engaged
in teaching.
“Mercy me!” she said in an under tone, “what a looking set of mortals!
Black, white, grey and all colors--old, young and middling. Why I don’t
see, Hesper, how you can stay here five minutes! more especially with
that great, dirty black fellow close to your elbow!”
She spoke cautiously, but nevertheless, Jake overheard, and he brought
his clenched fist down, with so-much force upon his slate, that he
cracked it entirely across, and attracted the attention of the whole
school.
“Mercy me!” said aunt Betsey, as she started back in alarm.
Jake was about to spring from his chair, but Hesper laid her hand
firmly upon his shoulder. She felt him trembling violently beneath her
touch, and she knew that his fiery spirit could ill brook control, but
she did not loose her hold, and kept soothing him with gentle words,
till gradually he bowed his head upon his hands and rested them upon
the table before him. His whole frame shook with emotion, but Hesper
knew that the poor boy had won a great moral victory, and her heart
rejoiced with him. Aunt Betsey, however, was unconscious of all this,
and therefore she regarded him with a very angry and suspicious look.
“Dear me!” she said, after a few moment’s silence, “I can’t stay here
another minute. I am really afraid of taking some pestiferous disease
in this horrid atmosphere. I think your school is a very good thing,
Hesper, and I wish it all success, but I don’t believe I shall ever
come again--good night”--and she bustled out, with an expression of
countenance, which was anything but pleasing.
For more than four months the school continued in a most prosperous
condition, and then, as the evenings grew very short, and many of
the scholars were about to leave for their summer employment, it was
proposed to suspend the school until the following September. A few
evenings previous to the breaking up, however, black Jake was missing,
and the sad intelligence was brought that he had fallen from the
third story of a house which was in process of erection, and was now
lying in a very precarious condition. With all possible haste Hesper
repaired to his bed-side next day, and found her worst fears confirmed.
He did not seem to suffer much pain, but the blood which flowed slowly
but constantly from his mouth, showed that he had sustained a severe
internal injury.
“O Miss Hesper!” he whispered, as soon as he beheld her loved
countenance, “I knew you would come! All night I have been comforted
with the thought that I should see you in the morning.” The tears of
grateful affection rolled down his cheeks as he spoke, and he pressed
her hand earnestly to his heart.
“The doctor says I am going to die, Miss Hesper,” he continued, “and I
am willing to go, for ever since you told me that the Good Father in
heaven cared nothing for the color of the skin, I have longed to go
to him. I thought once that every body in the world hated me, and so
I hated every body, but when I found that you loved me and cared for
me, then I tried to be a better boy. I only knew how to read a very
little when I came to your school, but you soon made it so easy and
pleasant for me, that very often, when I was in the woods, instead of
killing birds and rabbits, I would lay down in the bushes and spell out
the words in the little Testament you gave me. Now I think it is best
for me to die, for if I grow up to be a man, I may become wicked and
careless again, and I should never be ready to go. But let me tell now,
Miss Hesper, while I am able, it is your love and kindness that makes
me feel so happy, and I hope God will bless you for it forever and
ever.”
Poor Hesper’s loving heart was so deeply moved by the boy’s
earnestness, that she could not speak. She could only put her
handkerchief to her face and weep like a child. It so happened that the
old minister who had formerly taken Jake under his care, had entered
unobserved, and overheard the boy’s words. With tearful eyes he now
drew near the bed and extended his hand.
“My poor fellow,” he said, “I have wronged you, but it was because
I did not understand your nature. I endeavored to drive you into
goodness, therefore you hated me, and my labor was lost. God forgive
me that I forgot ‘the charity that never faileth’--the love that
‘overcometh all things.’ But this good girl has taught me a useful
lesson, and henceforth I shall endeavor to profit by it.”
The old man knelt by the side of the bed in prayer, and his words
came with a perfect gush of earnestness and love. When he arose and
looked upon the boy’s face again, he perceived that the spirit even
then was preparing to lay aside its mortal garment. One after another
the neighbors and friends dropped in, and many of Jake’s schoolmates
gathered around his bed. He regarded them all with a pleasant
smile--turned his eyes with a look of grateful love to Hesper’s
countenance, and then, drawing his weeping mother closer to him, he
breathed his life away like a weary child upon her bosom.
A few days after this, the whole school followed poor Jake’s mortal
remains to their last resting place, and the old minister addressed the
assembly so earnestly and touchingly at the grave, that all were moved
to tears. It seemed to Hesper a strange dispensation of Providence,
that thus briefly the poor boy had been thrown upon her sympathies, and
then suddenly withdrawn when his life seemed budding forth into the
fulness of promise. But she felt that a wise purpose had been served,
and full of strength and consolation did the thought come to her, that
if only in this one instance her labors among the poor children had
been crowned with success, she was amply rewarded. Thus she reasoned
with herself, but she could not see deeply enough into her own nature,
to comprehend, that this one simple incident had formed a chapter in
her experience, clearly illustrating the pure principle of love which
not only governed all her actions, but was also leading her on to still
higher attainments in the future.