The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1851-04-26
THE APRIL FOOL.

"o IStuucd LuC ldttS GtIuo stSl-
dressed. "Oh, but wasn't he mad !'''
Thus spoke two boys together. on return
ing from school ut dinner time, OIL the first
day of April. Their mother, overhcaring
their words, said
"What about Mr.. Bender, boysl"
ooh, we had such fun with him mother
as we went to school this morning." replied
Tom.
"And he was SO mad" said Harry, the
brother Of Tom.
"Why did he get angry with YOU 2" in
auircd the mother.
"Wc made such fool of him." was an
swercd.
"Of old Mr.. Brnder?'
"Yes, indeed. Tom tore from IL fence !.
part of show bill, OH which WAS printed
Great Excitement aud stole up behind Mr..
Bender aud pinned it fast to his coat. Then
hadn't we the fun ~
:;"And didn't he get mad. All the boys
pointed at linn. and called linn April Fool;'
and the men laughed. Oh it was such
fun '"
The mother of the boys did not smile ut
this, but looked very serious.
II am sorry" said she, "that you did
this, my boys. 1t was wrong"
ooh, but it was only for fun, mother
To-day is the first of April you know, and
he needn't have got so angry about it. 1t
only made the people laugh at him the more.
But, lie is such il cross old fellow"
"My Children" said The mother, "let HE
tell YOU something that happened to day"
The little boys became serious and came
up close to their mother and listened.
"You know" said she, {" that Mrs. Jud-
kin has been sick all wintcr?'
Yes, MAN," was answered.
"Aud that she is poor :"
"les m;i',i!"
"Wcll her Andrew. who is no older than
you, Henry, had to be taken from school
and put To work in Il printing office, where
lie has been receiving Il dollar and Il quar-
ter II week. Yesterday the little fellow
heard that Mr.. BENDER wanted an office Ind,
all that he would pay one that suited him,
two dollars Il week. The situation would,
besides yielding more money, Lc much cas-
ier, and lie would have time and opportuni-
ty to improve his mind.
$50 Andrew told his mother about It, a:;ii
she agreed with him that il was best to call
upon Mr.. Bender, who had known his faith
er, and befriended him while living on more
than one occasion.
"a little while before nine o'clock, Andrew
stepped around to the office of Mr.. Bender,
Which WAS not far from where he worked.
lie opened the door and went in with
hopeful yet trembling heart. Mr.. Bender
sat III his great arm chair, with newspa-
rer III his hand. Looking up rs the door
turned on its hinges, he fixed an angry look
upon the boy, and said in a sharp quick
" "What do you want ha!'
Poor Andrews hopes were dashed to
the ground by this reception. He stam
mcred out
"'Do you want a boy, sir 2"
"'No! Clear out you little rascal p re-
piled the old man, i'll a rough excited voice."
" The lad turned away, without word
more, and went back to the printing Office.
But his heart was almost broken by the rude
repulse and disappointment. Now, my boys,
can you tell why Mr.. Bender, who is, in the
mar, kind hearted man, repulsed Andrew
Judkn SO harshly9"
6 he was angry about something, sup
pose" said Thomas.
"C;nyou guess what that something was?"
Was it because we made him an April
fool 2"
I" Most probably" returned the ,notl,er.
You say he was very angrya"
40 yes. lie was as mad rs he could be,
and shook his fist ut US"
"You had your fun, as you call it." said
the mother to the boys, "but poor Andrew
Judkin has, in all probability, lost good
place in consequence. He will hardly ven
ture back ag,Iiu to the Office of. Ms, Bender"
Il don't think" remarked one of tho lads,
that it was very manly in Mr.. Bender to
get into passion just because we made
him an April fool. We played tricks on
other men, but they only laughed Mt lis, and
SO wo had fun all around"
i" All men are not alike" was replied to
this. Some are sensitive on one point,
and some on another. Few persons can
bear rdiculc, though some have the power
to conceal its effects, while others have not.
Mr.. Bender has, naturally,a quick, irritable
temper, and is, besides, sensitive to ridicuIc.
Such being the case, it was, scarcely possible
for him not to get angry when two little
boys were so rude as to make sport of him
in the street. No doubt he felt mortified,
afterwards, for thus. having lost his selfcon-
troll but ere there. had been time enough,
for this change in his feeling to occur, poor
Andrew CAME with his petition, and received
an angry repulse." ' '''. ~
:" Fin sorry" said Harry, appearing trou-
bled, (" that made fun Of Nj. Bender.-
I'm sure | wouldn't have done so, if had
fho,, L.,