Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-11-14

GETTING READY FOR SCHooL.-''The
cause of education be hanged" J" he
muttered as he sat down on the curb
stone on Shelby street yesterday.
He was a lad of thirteen. He spit
through his front teeth, and he spit
often. His pants were supported by a
piece of wire clOthes-line girted around
his waist, his hat was ancient and
greasy, and his big fiat feet seemed to
be waiting for thunder-shower to
wash them clean.
''That's what ails met" he went on as
he pushed his toes into the wet sand.
81 don't believe in feller diffing in and
learning all there is to learn, and not
letting other folks have chance.
There's lots of other folks in this world
besides me, and amt going TO be a
hog and try to learn all there is to
learn.'
After a minute he went on:
"Don't l know huff now? Three
times two are six, four times five are
twenty, and four and four are eight.
That's as correct as l could get EN- If
went to school for a hundred years.
And don't know how to spellS Cat
is cat the world over, and I'll bet on
it every time. Hen spells 'heD,' and
| know it as well as if weighed a ton" +"
He rose up to throw a stone at dog
across the street, and after resuming his
seat he went on:
'Jogerfy kinder wrestles me down,
hut don't go much on jogerfy. What
do | care whether an island is entirely
surrounded by water, or whether there
ainff xpIt hin fntlay nf In 4
S'pOse Pm going to buy and sell Islands
for living? | don't care which is the
highest mountain or the longest river,
do 1? Pm going to keep feed store,
and when I'm rolling bales of hay
around will care about mountains and
rivers? I've heard the boys go on about
exports and imports, and straits, and
seas, and capes, but what's them TO me ?
IL feller wants bag o. oats, is he
going to wait and ask me when the
Island of Madagascar was discovered ?"
He carefully examined the big toe of
his left foot and the heel of his right
foot, and glOomily observed:
"The old folks are making ready to
push me into school, and I've got to
make ready to keep out. l can't take
to school, somehow. | could sit here
and study all day, but the minute l git
into a schoOl-house I'm nervous. Some
things going to happen to me this
week. I'll be taken home in a wheel
barrow with big cash in this heel or
this toe almost cut off. That will mean
four weeks on crutch, and they don't
allow lame boys to go to school and
crutch up and down the aisles. Or,
s'posin' go home with palpitation OF
the heart? The old lady has had it,
and | won't more than get into the
house before she'll have me tucked up
on the lounge, the camphOr bottle
down, currant jelly and sponge cake in
the distance, and she'll call out to the
old gent:
".Father, it's no use Of thinking of
sending this boy to school. He looks
stout and healthy. but he's a mere
shadder. The close atmosphere of the
schoOl-room will kill him before snow
fiies.'"
The boy rose up. There was a grin
all over his face, and he chuckled:
''PalpitatiOn is the keynote? A sore
toe can be seen-a palpitating heart is
hidden away under hide and fat and
ribs. Now wtnen-oosh-Woo GOSH u-m-m-m
hold yer breath, roll yer eyes, kick
out yer left leg aud make her bob
around like a fly on hot stove-cover."
-Drtr0it Free Press.