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136 THE SABBATH SCHOOL FESTIVAL.

superintendent or committee. When the time
for decision came, a lad, the son of a deacon,
and who had left school and had not been at
school for six months, was sent for, and to ham
the silver medal was given! We all felt out-
raged, but did not dare to say much. I begged
my parents, with good reasoning, to let me go to
another school, where I had many friends ; and
I went to Dr. Winchell’s, in Salem street, where
Mr. John Gear was superintendent. ;
What lessons I did get! Whole chapters were
recited from the New Testament, because so
many verses brought me a reward, so many

*yewards a mark, and so many marks 4 book !

Ae

We had no libraries then. Well, the annual
meeting came round, and one evening the school
met and marched down to Dr. Baldwin’s church.
I remember the children did the singing, and

while they were singing, of course, I sung; and
Thave not forgotten how crest-fallen ] felt when

Mr. Gear came along, and whispered to me,
« Don’t sing so loud ;” but he might just as well
have said, “ Don’t sing,” because I knew he did
not want me to sing, for I could not keep time.
But it was festival-night, and he was extremely
good-natured, and did not wish to cut short the
privileges of any. A prayer was offered, and
then we sung again. A big man, ina large black