Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-01-30
THE ACADEMY PLAGUE.


and for girls, too.
From its classic halls many young
men and maidens OF that good old time
went forth to stand as corner stones in
temples of learning, or homes of culture
and refinement, where they gave to 9th
ers the good they received here.
Many worthy minister had stood be-
fore the world to say of our school, al
was born into the Kingdom there. -
Lawyers teachers and Senators have been
proud to point to the old building and
building ard say, "The foundation of
my success was laid there. And for ma
ny years diploma from b Academy
was suflici ent guarantee for good moral
character" for a certificate to any honor
able employment.
But the glory of B Academy is de-
parted. The fine gold is become dim.
The scholars who made the old institute
an ornament and honor are gone. Their
places are filed with set of wild boys
whose delight is to sow wild oats and
talk the language of the Bowery.
love the noise and laughter of young
people, and am perfectly willing that
boys should be boys" but l can't feel
any love, or admiration, or sympathy
for boys who will be rowdies.
Neither can my neighbor, Deacon Pea
body. His gate disappeared one night
last Winter, aud even now you would
find no difficulty in entering his yard
There's nothing to hinder. Mrs. Browns
appe-trees and strawberry vines don't
yield half as we'll as they used to and
the other day when spoke of tho stir
ring busy look of the village, and con-
graduated her on having things so lively
around her, (thc students pass her house
night and morning), she looked daggers
at me.
However, we could almost pardon GER
tain giddy carryngs-on OF our young
students lift were not for another griov-
ance. Their words are as bad as their
deeds. If offer an opinion to one Of the
boys, and he happens to agree with me,
he sings out, " You bet p (Tho idea I
| never betted in my life, and couldn't be
hired to-
asked one of them ore day the price
of a certain book. He named pretty
large figure, and embellishcd the nfor.
nation with shows that for high ?" On
the street | saw number of very young
men, intent, as. it seemed on having n
lemonade treat. At any rate, one Of them
shouted
Peel and go in, Lemons"
But when l saw another roll up his
sleeves, double up his fist and whack
schoolfellow on the head, | concluded
that the above language must mean
something else.
One evtng B walked down town be-
hind a young academy gent, who was es-
corting girl to a lecture. Apparently
something she said did not suit him, for
l heard him calculate;
so, you go whistle !"
He held worry close to her nevertheless,
so that she didn't go aud if she 'whis-
tied, she certainly did it very softly.
Now it happened that one Of my aunt's
children, cousin John, is member of
B Academy, or 'ooS, until recently.
l cannot tell you how contoundod | was
when l discovered that he, too, had
caught the trick of fast language.
| had asked him at the dinner table,
innocently enough, if he was going to
speak a piece that week on defamation
day and the youngster replied
" Got much, Mary Ann ~
Now my name, as he very we'll knew.
is Thankful Hapgood Jenkins, and what
should possess him to call me Mary Ann
is more than | can fathom. Seeing my
condemnation, he condescended to ex-
plain by adding:
Excuse me, cousin Thankful, but
that is an emphatic way we boys have OF
saying no."
1--WE boys" An emphatic way. -
l felt like boxing his ears-and all "we
boys" ears, if l could got at them.
Well, soon after that, 1 had long talk
with Johns mother, and we agreed that
! the influence Of his associates was any
thing but beneficial to him. 1t was
natural consequence Of that long talk, |
suppose, that l dreamed dream about
John that night.
thought his mother, his sisters, and
myself, were all in the parlor togeth-
er. Suddenly the mother, Mrs. Grayson
began to wipe her eyes, and :the girls
clung convu lsively to one another, and
sobbed as if their hearts would break,
"What is the matter ?" said l.
"Oh," sobbed Mrs. Grayson, "only to
think ! Only to think -
"Oh," cried Ella, "Only to think !
Only to think !"
" But what is the matter ?" l asked
Do stop crying long enough to tell me-
What ails you all ?"
After a fresh application of the hand
kerchief, Mrs, Grayson sobbed out:
my boy, my John--has gone, and"
and then came another food of tears.
"Girls," | cried, tout with it. Has
John run away? If so, he'll be back to
supper"
AT this intimation of her boys vorae
ity, Mrs. Grayson, wiped her eyes and
began to enlighten me.
80, Thankful, John has gone-anG-
caught it-that dreadful disease the boys
at school are all having"
Boys at school are all having" ech-
ocd the girls.