Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-09-01
9mnsing 8eaonlg,
COMPOUND IT!


lest, bravest, most good-natured fellows to
be found on this side of Jordan; and is not
apt to be frightened before he is hurt, by
any means. But when Bob was boy he
was one of the most sensitive, timid, shame
faced little shavers it was ever my bad luck
to make cry. Bob and I were schoolmates
in 1885, and we logged along over the
crooked paths to knowledge at an even gait,
but then he was such a trembling creature,
that it used to make my juvenile heart ache
to see him stammering and blushing to the
top of his head when any one spoke sternly
to him. Bob's pretty little sister Constance
went to the same school, and Con- as we
used to call her, was the'pet of everybody.
It was sCon' here and sCon' there, wherever
she went Bob and his sister were especial
favorites of the teacher; yet he scrupulously
avoided showing anything like partiality, and
sometimes spoke SO magisterially to poor Bob
that the modest fellows hair used to stand
up fairly.
But must tell you a story about Bob
He sat next to Con in the school room, one
day, when she touched some hard substance
with her feet, and, STOPPING, picked up an
old fashioned silver pencil.
sLet me see that Con- whispered Bob, and
added almost Immediately, why it belongs
to Mr.. Brown
Now, Mr.. Brown was our teacher, and he
chanced to glance towards Bob, just as Bob
received the pencil. Having lost said pen
Gil very mysteriously, he concluded that Bob
had taken the liberty to 'crib' it from his
desk, and it was very harshly that he said:
Robert Graham, come up here
Unhappily, Bob could not have felt worse
had he been detected in the act of robbing a
hen.roost, and his face fairly glowed, as he
walked up to the throne of the pedagogue.
Robert said Mr.. Brown, with awful So
lemnity, 'give me that pencil
Bob laid it in the outstretched palm in a
very sneaking manner, stammering as he
did:
There it is, sir Com found it,
Old Brown fairly staggered into his chair,
while his eyes assumed size decidedly ex-
tensive.
what he exclaimed, catching his breath.
sBobs's lower lip began to quiver, but he
managed to say
That's y-your pencil, sir; Con found it,
This was too much for the pedagogue.-
He raised the lid of his desk, rested it on
his bald pate, and fumbled around among
confscated tops, marbles and 6re-crackers
until he found his rattan.
sPll teach you to swear, my boy he said
savagely. sLie over my knee, sir
Poor Bob broke down in earnest, then,
and blubbered-
Il didn't-please, SIR
Don't tell lie, too,' thundered back the
master, holding still for moment: What
did you say about that pencil?'
IL only said, 'Cou found the pencil
groaned the wretched Bob.
In an instant old Browp had him by the
collar, and pulled him over the stool of re-
pentance. It was critical moment. The
merciless rattan was already Auttering in
the air, like an extremely thin bird of prey
picking out good fat chicken before it
swooped, when little Constance sprang from
her seat, crying
please, Mr.. Brown, don't whip Bob
found the pencil on the floor
The light of truth flashed upon Browns
mind in an instaut-the rattan dropped to
the floor closely followed by Bob.
you see didn't lie-sCon found it ! Sob
bed the poor boy, picking himselfup.
go to your seat; I'll see you about it af-
ter school, said the discom6tted master. But
he didn't, and that was the last oft.