Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-03-14
LITTLE T0M-BOY.

You would hardly believe how little
she is; so round and small that people,
when they pass her, turn around to look
once more, and smile little; they
< know by the very look in her roguish
eyes that she is the greatest romp in the
city, and she knows it too, and doesn't
care.
Somebody, her fond mamma, I sup
pose, being no judge of character, had
named her Dora; such sweet, mild
name being plainly thrown away on our
little Tom-boy, her big brother short
ened it to Dick; she likes it, she says,
and feels like kicking anybody who calls
her Dora or Sis OF course, only o
Tom-boy would feel like kicking.
She goes to school; she commenced
the very day she was six, for her mother
declared she couldn't "stand it all day
any longer since she has been at school
she has climbed over the school-house
fence twice, quarreled and made up
with every boy II the class, quarreled
with every girl and only made up with
two, killed a chicken in the next yard
with stone, and committed multitude
of smaller offenses, too numerous to
mention.
Tn afraid the teacher likes her, and
is 10th to punish her; she used to put
her on the boys side; but Dick looked
out through her fingers (she pretended
to be crying and laughed with her
neighbors, showing her preference so
plainly that the teacher determined to
punish her some other way after that.
One day, when Dick had been very
naughty, she took out her long rattan,
and called her up to the desk, fully in
tending to forgive her On the first appli-
cation.
But Dick made no professions out
went her little plump hand as bravely
as could be; not hesitating moment.
"Dick," said the teacher (even the
teacher called her Dick), "I don't want
to whip you"
Dick looked the teacher straight in
the eye, and never said word.
"Do you want me to whip you,
Dick?" she said, after waiting q mo-
ment.
The little girl shook her head she
had been very brave, and still held her
hand straight out, but the teachers
eyes looked so kind, she began to melt !;
she even felt tear away in the corner
of her eye.
"Tell me you will be good" said the
teacher, putting down the rattan, "and
I'll forgive you this time"
"I'll try to be dood," said Dick she
said it in very low voice, for she knew
that that tear had slipped out of the
corner of her eye, and was creeping
down her soft cheek and she didn't
want the boys to know that she was
crying.
every well," said the teacher and
somehow, whether it was the shining
tear creeping down the soft cheek, or
the round little hand held out so brave
ly, or some other reason I do not know
of, the teacher never took out her rat
tan, and said, "Come here!' to naughty
Dick again.
One afternoon she played truant. It
was shocking thing for little girl to
do, even if she tU0s little Tom-boy,
and she heartily repented of it, and was
determined from that day, never, never
to do it again.
She had been to her lunch, and was
lettering back to school, thinking all
the time how hot the school house
would be that day, and how much nicer
it would be to stay out of school, and
play "Robbers and Police" with Joe
Lewis and the washer woman's boy
Tim.
Yet she never thought of playing
truant, but just walked slow, and
chased hen, and peeped through the
bars of Mrs. Hewett's fence, and won
dered if there was bird s nest in the top
of the tall tree. By and by she saw Joe
Lewis he was standing in the middle
of the street, kicking the dust with his
copper-toed shoes.
"Hi, Dick |" he called out.
Hi p replied the little Tom-boy.
g You're late" said Joe.
CT amt" said she, with O little
tremor Of horror in her voice. To be
late was a prime offense, in he,
teachers eyes.
You are, though" replied Joe
som L, but l amt a-going in to get q
lickin'. I'm a-going to play hockey
but you daresn't youre too much oi
gal p
"Oh, toward /" said Dick, scornfully
GO SJty Ill Gu6 nluule OF bno SGfeeJ j
+" amt 30 much of coward as yor
are" said he; for darest play hook
ey, and you daresn'tp
Pooh p said foolish Dick, "I aim
afraid"
Just then they saw lot of men and
boys running down a cross street
about block away.
"Where all zem boys going ?" de
manded Dick.
Joe deeming peace to be firmly estab
lished, now came up on to the side
walk Joe was eight and had very
frowsy head. "I'll tell you what
think, Dick" he answered ct thinl
they're going to a fire and let us gt
too I've never been to fire in all m,
life"
"Nor T." said Dick.
So they took hold of hands, and start
led off down the street at such o pace
that a big boy, sitting down in th,
shade of fence at the corner of th,
street, said, "Phewl race horse 7
When they got to the corner of th,
street, the men and boys were lont
E E way ahead, but they were not to b,
daunted, and kept on in hot pursuit
away they went, keeping hold of hands
30 as to run faster, up one street, dow
another, and across third, dodginl