Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-05-28
Reading for little Folks-The Tyrant of
Thurston School.
BY GEORGE d. ELDRIDGE.

."No' It came square, firm, decided and
every boy on the ground looked round in sur
prise. Never in the traditions of the school,
had such a thing happened before. Dick Hal
liday turned red and white by turns, with an
ger That boy, and he too, both smaller
and younger than himself, should dare disobey
his command, was entirely beyond his compre-
hension. The idea that anything save mere
brute force had any influence in this world, had
never entered his head before, and it did not
even now clustering up to the little boy, who
stood regarding his fury SO calmly, and shaking
his fist near his face, he exclaimed:
''Do you mean to say that you won't do as |
0'e Yes {ea'
Calm and cool, as if nothing unusual had
happened but there was no mistaking that
word no chance for compromise there, by
twisting the meaning of the answer, and the
consequence came as prompt and unmistakable.
One blow, as sudden and swift as the flight of
an arrow, stretched Edda, stunned and bleed
ing, on the ground.
For shame!' cried one, and the words were
echoed by every voice. but a warning glance
from the bully admonished them that further
expression of their feelings in that manner would
be dangerous. There had been no possibility
of fight from the first, for Edda was much too
small to attempt to cope with so powerful fel-
low, and Dick had known it as well as any of
them; so, having made a satisfactory display
of his courage and strength, he walked away.
One of the largest boys went to Edda and
raised MS head into his lap while another
brought some water in his hat from spring
near by. After he had recovered from the be
wildelment which the bl01 had caused him,
one of the boys that were gathered round said,
Il should tell Dr. Ihurston, If were you.
No. said he, rising to his feet, Il won
do that; father always told me to fight my own
battles, and [ will
eff you could only thrash him, there'd be
some sense in it !; but that's entirely out of the
question.
''You will have to yield, as the rest of us
have done,' said another.
''No, [ will not do that, either" and there
was look in his face that would have told any
reader of character that he meant what he said.
Il am not used to being tossed around that
''But you always accommodate us quick
enough when we ask you to do anything
''Ihat is quite different thing"
Edward, or as the boys called him, Edda
Clark, had been member of the 'Thurston
School less than fortnight yet in that time
he had gained great popularity, which this IN
cident served only to increase, for Dick Halll-
day, the Dully OF the SCHOOL, Was uHl-
versally unpopular, although none dared dis
pute his rule This rebellion had been all the
more unexpected, from the fact, as has been
mentioned, that there was not one among them
more unwilling to accommodate, seeming to find
more delight in doing for others, yet when Dick
had ordered him to bring from the storeroom a
bat which was left there, the refusal had come
prompt and decisive.
1t was a matter of considerable discussion
among the boys. To stand by and see boy
younger than themselves beaten and knocked
round by this great bully was not exactly to
their liking it did not seem quite honorable.
To be sure, one of them ntimated that he had
only to submit, as they had done, to escape !;
but the fact was, the boys admired his spunk,
and did not want to see it broken down Be-
Sides as Frank Haskell said with good deal
of TRUTH we ought to be ashamed of our
selves for having submitted so long, But the
universal fear of Halliday's big fists was too
much, and they decided that Edda must, as he
said, fight his own battles, and, as they could
but see was inevitable, at last submit, as they
had all done. Such thing as combining their
strength against the common tyrant did not oc-
cur to them.
/ About a week after, Halliday came buster
ing on to the playground in a terrible humor.
Nothing seemed to please him, and the boys