The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-12-09


Donald" I hear him say,
keep mind-a strong heart and a sturdy step
gang DER the steepest brae."
Lille ID. Barr, IN Hdrper's Young People.
JACK. .
"Inever knew Jack myself. He was
grown up, and a great big man long be-
fore / was born; and I'm only ten now
But give you the story just as grand
mother told it to me; and then you can
see for yourselves if Jack wasn't just :
gag!
Grandmother lived then. She didn't
live where she does now, in a big brown
house that stuck out on the rocks on
the edge of town called Belleport. 1
wish she did live there now. Wouldn't
! have fun going fishing, and catching
crabs: and sailing all around the islands!
"Well-he was in Belleport. That s
where grandmother first knew him.
And he didn't have fun at all-not a bit
of it. He was in hateful, dreadful
old school, where he had been ever
since he had been little bit of boy.
And the master just pinned him down
to work, work, all the time. And when
he wasn't studying, he was always
carrying pals of water, and setting
tables, and backing the other bows
boots, and the masters. I'd burnt
'em first, would! Grandmother knew
what he did, cause Mrs. Higginson.
that's the masters wife, used to tell
about it, and to laugh, and say that was
all Jack was good for. The idea!
When-well, I won't tell till 1 get
through my story, and then you can
see it you don't think Jack was worth
all the rest of the folks in that old house
put together! .3.-.
"Jack was hungry often, grandmoth-
er said, cause she found him down on
the rocks one day, when he thought
there warn't nobody round; and he
kept wiping his eyes on his jacket
sleeve pretty fast. And she got it out
OF him what the matter was. And then
l tell you, she took him home with her.
and stuffed him good. Don't | wish I'd
been there to see him eat! At any rate,
he had one square meal. Grandmother
says | mustn't say that, 'tisn't nice. I
don't see why-well, anyway, he went
home feeling good. And after that,
grandmother always watch when he
went by on errands, and give him cook
les, and apples and doughnuts, and
Jack would always say she was the best
friend he'd got! and how he wanted to
do something for her, and all that!
And grandmother'd laugh and tell him
to run along, he worked enough at
home. Ii he'd only grow rosy and fat,
that's all she'd ask.
Well, he didn't grow fat and rosy:
no. not with all grandmother stuffing;
but he just got thinner and thinner
every day, till the boys called him old
Single for a new name. He had lots
OF other names before. I can't begin
to tell 'em all; but grandmother saws
she used to hear them shouting 'em out
all the time. And he couldn't hurl
them back, and give it to them, cause
then the master d had an excuse to turn
him out OF the class-rooms; and he was
dreadful fond of study, Jack was!
Oh, almost crazy over it. / don't
see how he could be, but he was,
And he'd get up just as soon as he
could see wink every morning. and
dig away like everything. And he was
always at the head of every class, ex-
cept when he had to stay out to be
whipped fol- something or other; or to
60 OF an errand. And that made the
other boys angry. Sc then they'd
''shoo' him round, and complain of
him. And then he'd get more boots to
black, and more pals to carry, and so
on; till it got worse and worse.
veil, the boy that was the hate
fullest to him of the whole lot, was the
masters son. And he was. bad to his
father and mother, too. And then he'd
beg Jack not to tell of him when he
saw him filching things, and getting at
the jam pot and everything else. and
they always called him s.Herbie. love"
that's what grandmother says-his ia
ther and mother did. But he wasn't
'Herbie, love" to the other boys. They
just hated him; he was so mean and
sly; but they d 60 shares with him in
Jack though, and trying to find
out ways to spite him.
One day. grandmother saws. she
heard Mr.. Higginson telling the bows
they could have half holiday. "All
but Jack" he said. He wanted him to
go down to the Point, to buy some fish.
Such a hurrahing and tossing up of
caps. grandmother said, as followed
them She was in Mrs. Higginson,s
parlor and heard the whole. And nret-
y soon she started home to be there
ready to hand out the cookies, when
JACK went by with his basket for the
Dirty old fish-boyr' sang the mas
ters boy, sitting on the highest post
out by. the gate, seeing Jacks face
when the master said '.half holiday. j
Il tell you, Jack, amt glad YOU won't
De along with us! We are GOING to
have fun! I'm going after gulls' eggs
that's what I'll do with mn half
Yes, SIR icy A"'''
:. "Oh, no. Herbie, love-" screamed
WrS. AiOninSnxa A.