The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-04-22

$500 ~ - ~ w A6H"
"No. no" said Bobby, 4 clever, fair-haired boy,
who kept Johns accounts, and took care OF his
money. "'You really can't afford it and besides,
you've got no clothes to 60 in. There is not a fellow
in the school who wouldn't laugh at you, if you stood
up in his garden. Sit still and grind away, old chap,
and make some more money, and be thankful that
you live on an island, and can take things easily"
sWell,'' said John sulkily, sI don't half Ike it,
though certainly my clothes are not very respectable,
and there is no time now to mend them. But look
here, Bob 1 mean to go across and help sponge the
poor beggars if they get mauled.''
"Hou may do that and welcome" replied Bobby.
'sYou will make no enemies in that way, and it may
cost you perhaps Is pence in ointment and plaster.
But bless you, Johnnie if you were to rig yourself
out well enough to hold your own against Louis or
William, you would have to fork out a ten pound
note or more
John went ON with his work in rather a grumpy
humor, for he had always been looked up to as the
leading boy in the school, and he did not like to play
second fiddle. He felt sure that if he had been half
SO natty and well got up as he used to be, be might
have stopped the fight in a moment. For the next
half hour he cursed Billy and Bobby, and all the
other little sneaks who had wormed themselves into
favor with him, by teaching him to save money.
''Hang the money 20 growled Johnnie TO himself;
"I'd give half my shop to get my old prestige back
again. But it was too late now. Nevertheless he
had his own way about the s~ponging, and certainly
he did behave well there. At the end of every round
that was fought he got across the stream and bathed
poor Louis head, for he wanted help the most, and
gave him sherry and water out of his own flask. "l
am so very sorry for you, my dear Louis" said he,
as the boy more dead than alive, struggled to his feet
again.
"Thank you kindly John. said Louis s'but, he
added, looking somewhat reproachfully at his friend,
s'why don't you separate us? Don't you see that this
great brute is too many for me? L had no idea that
he could fight like that
"What can 1 do ?'' said John. 'You began it, you
know. and you really must fight it out. 1 have no
power
$50 it SEEMS replied Louis. "Ah, there was a
time-well. thank you kindly, John, for-the stick
T"Come on - shouted William, thirsting for more
blood.
'Vive la guerre - cried poor Louis, rushing
blindly at his foe. Well and nobly he fought, but he
could not stand his ground. When he did hit, indeed,
he hit to some purpose but seldom could he reach
out far enough to do much damage. Foot by foot
and yard by yard he was forced to take refuge in his
arbor, from the windows of which he threw stones at
his enemy to keep him back from following.
Louis was plainly in the wrong. He ought to have
calculated the other boys strength before attacking
him, and deserved a licking now, and when William,
who talked so big about his peaceable disposition, and
declared he only wanted to defend his Fatherland,
chased him right across the garden, t~rampling over
beds and borders on his way, and then swore that he
would break down his summer house, and bring
Louis on his knees, everybody felt that the other
monitors ought to interfere. But not a foot would
they stir. Aleck looked on from a safe distance,
wondering which of the combatants would be tired
first. Joseph stood shivering with fright, not daring
TO say a word lest William should turn round upon
/ Ilu II II hlhA AdIh . oAA OOuh 0b IL h0 ~
grinding away like a niger at a new rudder and q
pair of oars which he was cutting out for Louis boat
in case he wanted to take advantage of the brook, fol
which service Louis would pay him handsomely nd
William abuse him cordially.
81 can't help it," said John, apologetically
" I'll make a rudder and some oars for you, too, anC
q boat beside, II you want UII-tiIat is, of course. i
you pay me we'll"
" But 1 don't want one, answered William, angrily
{" l have got no water to float it in, as you very vel
know" By which it will appear that John did no
make many friends by his neutrality: And JUS
look here" continued William 8 do you know
where those cuts on my forehead came from? Why
from stones which you pitched across the water fol
Louis to throw at me-"
Cant help it, Bill it is the law of neutrality. ,
Neutrality, indeed 1 call it brutality Ant
so William went across the garden again, leaving
Johnnie at his work-of which, however, he bega1
to feel thoroughly ashamed.
Come and help a fellow, John,' cried Louis il
despair from his arbor. "I don't ask you to re
member the days we have spent in here together
when you have been sick of your own shop. Blu
you might do something for me, now that L am IL
such a desperate fix and don't know which way tt
turn"
"I am very sorry, LOUIS said John, &C but wha
can do? 1t is no pleasure to me to see you thrashed
On the contrary it would pay me much better t.
have q near neighbor well off and cheerful thar
crushed and miserable. Why don't you give in
Louis? 1t is of no mortal use to go on. He viii
make friends directly if you will give back the tw'
little strips of garden; and if you don't, he will only
SIuiou yOuI dEbOI " pNCOCSs u hOCp W Shut VI thOi'
all dinner-time and starve you out. Give in old fel
low. There's no disgrace in it. Everybody say
how plucky you fought"
"Give in!'' sneered Louis: that is all the comfor
you have for a fellow, is it? Give in! Why, would
you give in if that great brute was in front of you
shop swearing that he would break it down (? No dis
grace, indeed! No, | don't think there is any dis
grace in anything 1 have done; but, though my dear
dear arbor, that | have spent so many weeks in build
ing, should be pulled down about my ears, and every
flower in my garden should be rooted up, L woult
not change places with you, John, sitting there sleel
and safe-no, not for all the gold that ever wa
coined Give in, indeed Mon Dieu, that 1 should
ever have heard such a word AS that come across ou
little stream
So Johnnie began to discover that, if lookers-ol
sec the most of the game, they do not always get tn
most enjoyment from it. But the bell now rang TO
dinner, and he followed the rest of the boys witt
some anxiety, not being quite easy in his mind as +
the account he would have to give to Mrs. Europa o
what had been going on.
Louis and william are very late today , ob
served the dame, when dinner was half over. " Doe
any one know where they are?" And then bit b.
bit she learned from some of the boys sitting nea
her the whole story.
And pray, John, why did you not separat
them - demanded the dame.
"Please ma'am, answered Johnnie, "I was
neutral"
GA what, sir?'' said she.
&c neutral, ma'am.'
Just precisely what you had no business to be,
she returned. You were placed in authority ii
order that you might act, not that you might stan'
aloof from acting. Any baby can do that. 1 Nigh
as well have made little George here a monitor, if
had meant him to have nothing to do. Neutral
indeed Neutral is just a fine name for coward
Besides, there is no such thing. You must take on
side or the other, do what you will. Now, whicl
side did you take, L wonderY"
A litter ran round the room, and the little boy
began to whisper to one another something which
anneared TO be in their small estimation an excellen
Joke. 1t was good fun to them to see q monito
badgered, even if they should get paid out for
afterward
"What are you sayings'' said the dame. "Botl
sides. ave? Well, and how did you manage that
Master John ?'
There was some more tittering and whispering an
shifting about on the forms. and then a chorus o
voices said, Please 'em, he sucked up 10 oo1h o
Sc lust what 'neutrals always do" said Mr.
Europa u sucked up to both, 1 suppose, and please'
neither. All, no doubt" she continued, gradual.
ostber;np information, I" offended Louis by Away
eI: e him that he was in the Hropg AM