The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-10-06
The !SchOoi6oy's Despair.
THE HEAnTLEssNEss OF \ MATERNAL, PA
RENT SHUCKINGI.Y ILLUSTRATED.

y serious phase of disease is that which
attacks boy ON day when lac particularly
objects to going to school He tells his
mother with cOnfiding frankness pecuIiar
to youth. shat he does not feel we'll this
morning. He doesn't know what il * but
he is lame in the joints, his head aches
and he doesn't feel bit good. lie moves
about slowly, openly refuses food looks
detected Negligent, unhappy. Quite fre-
quently he can be heard to sigh But in All
his pain he never forgetS the clock. As
time advances to tive houI which marks
school time his symptoms increase He
doesn't say a word about school to his
mother. He feels too dreadful. pellaps.
to talk of snch things. lie is certainly in
bad way. His sighS increase as the
dreaded time approaches, and the physical
symptoms of decay become more and more
manifest. But the greatest suffering lie
endures mentally. Fifteen minutes 10 nine
is the time he should start. 1t lacks bat
ten minutes of that time, and nothing has
been said to him about getting ready. He
wants to believe that he is all right. be-
cause that is the prompting of hope which
is strong in the youthful breast but vet
he refuses to believe he is, because be fears
the reaction of disappointment. Every
time be hears his mothers voice he is
startled, and every time he detects her
looking toward him he feels his heart sink
within him. 1t is a hard think. indeed To
appear outwardly languid listless and
dropping, when inwardly one is roaring
furnace of agony. But he does it, and
does 1T admirably. 1t now lacks five min
utes OF the quarter. Sill she saws nothing.
/ His nervousness is almost maddeninp
-Four minutes, three minutes, two minutes,
one minute. Still she makes no sign,
W i'll his reason forsal<e him
1t Is the quarter. Now ne should start
n0P fttfIg tsD
had every encouragement now. but he
knows that even at five miuules later he
can make school 10y hurrying. The agony
OF Tie suspense becomes exquisite. lie
Z trembles all over, and he cannot heID L.
/ His hair Is moist with perspiraticn 1t
seems as if he would give up everything
aud sink into the grave if he could but
/ know the result. How slowly the clock
moves. 1t sJares at him with exasperating
S,oniucSs. The ten minutes are reached
lie bIeai hes easier. Not word has been
said to bin about school. His mother sees
that he is too i'll To 60, and she sympa
thizes with him. Heaven bless her. Did
ever boy have such good. noble mother
as tlUs? Visions Of sunny fields aud shady
woods and running streams unfold before
him, stirring the depths of his soul. and
filing his eyes with tears of gladnees.
john
Like a great shock the beautiful picl ures
fan away and he is shot from the pinnacle
of hope into the abyss of despair. There
is no mistaking the voice.
''MerCy sakes here you are not ready
for school. Come start your boots"
IL don't feel well enough to go to
school, he whines. hardly realizing the
dreadful change that has come upon him
with such bli ehting force ard swiftneSs
81 guess You amt dying. quite is the
heartless reply. aud if you amt at
school you will be gaIloping over the neigh
borhood. Hurry | tell you."
But it is almost nine O'Clock. ard I'll
be late, )" he protests in desperation.
Late p she repeats, looking at the
clock. ''Gou have plenty of time. That
clock is nearly quarter of an hour too
FAST
Merciful Heavens! He goes down be-
fore the terrific blow in Il ash. \ quar-
ter of an hour fast Bleeding at every
pore of his heart, stunned by a shock
which a terrible as unexpected, he
crawls inside of his jacket and under his
hat, and starts on his way in dazcd man
ner that is pitiful to behold.