Just One...

Once upon a time, so the story goes, probably sometime in the 1760’s, a man was traveling through a village in Northern Ireland. (Perhaps in the townland of Moybeg Kirley, near Tobermore, as Wikipedia indicates that’s where the child in this story was born.) Hearing sounds of children at play, the traveler followed them to a schoolyard. It was recess and the students were busy playing with each other. All except for one little boy who was all by himself. Interested, the man asked the playground supervisor if there was something wrong with the child. She explained that he was the dullest boy in the whole school, couldn’t learn, and basically amounted to nothing. Pained to hear such cruel words spoken about a student, the man went over to the boy. Speaking cheerful, the man assured the boy: “One of these days you’ll make a fine scholar. Don’t give up. Try, my boy. Try.” That moment of encouragement triggered something in the child’s mind. Adam Clarke did make a fine scholar, indeed. His Bible Commentary was used for a couple of centuries. One contact. One person. And little Adam found a spark of hope.