OCR Text |
Show A SHORT STORY By Valene Lee HUBERT ASHTQN To Mr. and Mrs. Ashton was born an unusual baby 'I boy. His exceptional brilliance began to show from the first and at the age of two he was their pride and delight. But v at the age of six when he started to school he began to be left out of the games and parties and when other children j played he sat sadly alone. He was sensitive to their rude ! jests and laughter, though he endured these at times just ' to be with them in their game. With the others treating him badly he developed an inferiority complex as large as the house, if , anything so large could be in the small heart of a child.He grew up more bitter to the world, and more lonely with each passing year. At last his grief reached a point where he could endure it no longer, He cried to God and laid his life before Him saying, "God, I've done the best I could, I only ask to die". God does not argue with his children but in the still depths ; of silence that followed there came a thought, "Have I done my best? God only asks us to love our fellowmen. If I j loved them my heart would not be rankled with pain and my tongue dried with fear, lest they turn from me as they j have done before. Cannot I bear this with a smile. I will have done my part, that's all God asks". Experimentally he set forth for a walk about town. He saw David Windle standing by Hodges fruit stand talking to the attractive new girl. David had been the rudest in school. Now Hubert spoke with casual friendliness as he passed, "Hello David," and after starring with open eyes for a moment David called back, "Hello there, Hubert!" "So far, so good," thought Hubert and noted that he had never before spoken to anyone with ease not caring what they thought, but to speak with the joy of friendliness that was his aim now! At the end of his walk he returned home with a comforted com-forted feeling. Several men with whom he had gone to school had spoken to him with friendly surprise. He has gone up in the world of usefulness to men, from success to success, and is always the first to speak, the last to hold a grudge and the' happiest man of men. During his childhood his superior intelligence had him set apart from other children.' He had been disinterested in the usual childish games though he had loved the children and longed for their companionship. |