The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-08-27
HE IDIOTS REVENGE.

HE sIDIOT;S REVENGE. II iii
"Hey, there, old mani Halloo!''
8 Which way-traveling, or going some-
where?" "Where did you buy your
coat?" "Quicken your gait, sir !;
show your mettle!" ls'ilf9 # ls9a
A group Of rude youths lounging in the
shade Of a large oak along one of the
streets In the suburbs Of a. Western
city. An old man, crippled, t-be7
grimed, and ragged, hobbling along
with the aid Of a. crutch, on the opposite,
sidewalk, the object Of their shameless
tirade. y fa,,arI Tn taar sfs.. ss.r,s z.
The poor cripple glanced reproach-
cculy across at his youthful insulters,
put gave them no other reprimand.
Needless of this ,silent reproof, and en-
boldened by his seeming timidity, the
boys only became the more insolent, fol-
lowing him with their jeers and nepi-s
thets until he passed around a corner
out of sight. il5aq .ianIpoI aa4a8ise irslls.
Passing out Of sight, he. soon passed
from mind, and the boys had quite for
gotten him, when, CHANGING to glance
across the street, they saw him hobbling
along back. At sight of him they re-
sumed their insults, more shamefully if
possible than befofe-sofne of the more
msolent even throwing sticks and dirt
at him as he approached them. Seem
ingly as needless of their insults as be-
fore, the old man came painfully up
the street until he was opposite them,
when, turning abruptly, he commenced
crossing the street toward them. Con
scious of guilt, and cowardly as all boys
who insult their elders always are, the
boys arose at his approach and began to
scatter out Of his reach.
"Fear not, boys spoke the aged
cripple, in deep, sad voice A" [ come
not to chastise you, as perhaps you de-
serve, but to really befriend you. Re-
turn, and listen to a story-a sad, bit
ter one to me-which will tell you"
And the old man seated himself on
the rich, green grass at the foot of the
tree, and, removing his battered hat,
barred his flushed and feverish brow to
the cooling breeze. Though wretchedly
clad, careworn and infrm- God and
himself alone knew what sore trials and
temptations he had passed through
that brow bore no traces of crime, no
burrows of dissipation or RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Naught but life of purity and deep
benevolenee appeared recorded there,
albeit SCARED and furrowed by years Of
wasting pain.
Assured by his bland voice and benign
features, and prompted by curiosity, the
boys returned, one by one, and seated
themselves about him. The old man
was silent for few moments, and, as he
slowly wiped his heated brow, seemed
gazing backward along the thorny path
way of his life into his long-lost youth.
"Once, boys" he commenced, in a
sad, dreamy voice, "once I was young
and happy, like yourselves, with no care
for the present nor anxiety for the
future. Blessed with robust health and
try over, was more agile and hardy and
daring than I. Greatly priding myself
on these accomplishments, and subjected
to little parental restraint, I led free,
rowing life of matchless happiness. Liv-
ing in the country backwoods with my
parents, having for companions boys of
equal daring and restlessness, roamed
the woods up and down the river all the
long summers through, scorning the
staid, industrious life of other boys, and
coming home only for my food and to
sleep at night time. Books, as mat
er of course, / despised, and what little
education had was gotten through CO.
ercion Not but that I liked to go to
school, for really did, and was regular
III my attendance, but, like many other
Toys, ] went there altogether for another
purpose than to learn. Too cold and
ireary in the winter to roam the woods,
school was the best and most likely
place for high times I could find. And
high times / did have, too /; going
there to create trouble, with the help of
my comrades, always succeeded. The
terror of all the orderly, well-behaved
children of the school, who feared and
Stunned us as band of young outlaws,
as we really were, we were always in
trouble ourselves, and bringing others
In with us. Not day passed without
trouble of some kind with either some
of the pupils or the teacher, until, our
fame spreading far and near, our Di-
rectors were scarcely able to secure
teacher for our school at any price.
Several teachers we had wholly and
boldly driven from the school, while
others we had SO harassed and terrified
that they were glad to quit of their own
accord and leave us lords of the field.
Almost unopposed, we carried all before
us in the neighborhood throughout, all
hating US severely, but dreading to
brave us openly, fearing our secret re-
yenge. Not one In orr vicinity escaped
our tricks in some way or another, and
we were always on the alert to repeat
them not that We really committed any
serious offenses, but from little tricks Of
robbing orchards and melon patches.
and waylaying and frightening children,
and throwing down gates and fences, we
we're fast approaching tremble since
to think what.
But it was not always to be so.
After a time a new family moved into
our neighborhood WI large number of
children, one Of who n, boy Of some II
or Is years. was an idiot. Our greatest