Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-10-04
MIsCELLANY.
A Disease Peculiar to School
Boys.
From the Danbury News.

From the Danbury News.
A serious phase of disease IL That
which attacks a boy on a day when
he particularly objects to goink TO
school. He tells his mother witR 1llc
confiding frankness peculiar to yopth,
that he does not feel well this morn.
ing. He don't know what it Is, but
he is lame in the joints, and his head
aches, and his stomach don't feel 3 bit
good. lie moves about slowly, open
ly refuses food, looks detected, reg
ligent, unhappy. Quite frequehtly
he can be heard to sigh. But In al
his pain he never forgets the clOck
As time advances to the hour which
marks school time his SYMPHONIC IN.
crease. He doesn't say q word abOpt
school to his mother. He is certainly
in q bad way. His sighs increase q
the dreaded time approaches, and the
physical symptoms of decay grow
more and more manifest. But the
greatest suffering he endurcs me1tAl.
". Fifteen minutes to 8 is the time
he should start. It lacks but ten min.
utes to that time, and nothing has
been said to him about getting ready.
He wants TO believe he is all right
because that is the promptings Of
hope, which is strong in the yOuthfnl
breast, but yet refuses to believe he
is, because he fears the reaction Of
disappointment. Every time he
hears his mothers voice he Ia startled.
and every time he dctects her looking
towards him he feels his heart sii(E
within him. It is q. hard thing, i'd
decd, to appear outwardly languid
and hstless and dropping, when in
wardly one is a roaring furnace of
agony. But he does it, and does it
admirably. 1t now lacks FIVE
minutes of the quarter. Still she
says nothing. His nervousness Is al
most maddening. Four minutes,
three minutes, two minutes One
minute. Still she makes no sign.
Will his reason forsake him?
1t ls the quarter. Now he should
start according to custom. One
would think he had every encourage
ment now, but he knows that even at
five minutes later he can make school
by hurrying. The agony of suspense
OCCOucS CA4uhoAtCs H1c ucHiUlcS I'll
over, and he cannot help it. His hair
is moist with perspiration. 1t seems
as if he would give up everything
and sink into the grave If he could
but know the result. How slowly
the clock moves! 1t stares at him
with exasperating stoniness. The
ten minutes are reached. He breathes
easier. Not q word has been. said to
him about school. His mother sees
that he is too i'll to 60, and che SYM
pathizes with him. Heaven bless her.
Did ever a boy have such good, no.,
BILE mother as this? Visions of sum
ny fields, and shady woods, and run.
ming streams unfold before him, STIR
ring the very depths Of his soul, and
filing his eyes with tears Of gladncss.
"John y
Like great shock the beautiful
pictures fall away, and he is shot
from tho pinnacle of hope into the
abyss OF despair. There is no mis-
taking the voice.
Mercy sakcs. here you are not
ready for school. Come, start your
boots :"
"I-T don't feel well enough to go
to school, Inc whincs, hardly rcaliz-
ing the dreadful change that has
come upon him with such blighting
force and swiftness.
~ guess You amt dying, quite" is
the hcartless reply. sAnd if you
amt in school you will be galloping
over tho neighborhood. Hurry, I
fall vynr - sas