San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-10-20
Strive to Excel...A Moral Story.

Strive to Excel...A Moral Story.
Many years ago, when the State Of
New York was in wild and unsettled
condition, and infested by the wolf, the
bear, and the army worm, there lived
on the banks of the Hudson little boy
with soft blue eyes and a sore toe. He
early learned that what was worth doing
at ali was worth doing well, and so
whatever he did, he did the best he
knew how. No matter whether he was
called upon to hoe the waving corn, or
to put split stick on dogs tail, little
William always did his level best. Thus
lie grew to manhood, always striving
toward perfection in everything. When
he was sent out into the world, he cast
about in his mind to know what he
should do for livelihood. 1t soon oc-
Cured to him that robbing the mountain
stage coaches of Wyoming and Colorado
would be middling remunerative call
ing, and, as it required no special out
lay Of capital, he adopted it as his pro
fession. Though at times unfortunate,
he was always cheerful. When he
robbed stage coach containing only
one passenger, and he IN editor, with
nothing in his pocket but buckskin
string and pass, he never murmured
or complained. He would ask the edi-
tor, in that merry, frolicksome way of
his, to give him puff, and then he
would let him go. Years went slowly
by, the summer succeeding the balmy
spring, and autumn following on the
heels of summer, according to a time
hcnored custom, when one day William
stopped down coach from the mines
and in the mellow moonlight jabbed
his revolver into the window, coupled
with request for scads. There seemed
to be reluctnace on the part of the
passengers to contribute any wealth,
but they lavished about bushel OF
buckshot on William and his gang. 1t
seemed that they didn't have any mon
ey, but such as they had they cheerfully
turned over to the outlaws. When the
smoke had cleared away, William was
found with some buckshot under his
shoulder-blade, and his nose shot off.
All his men were extremely deceased.
Then they took William to hospital,
and tenderly watched over him till he
got we'll. After that these good Sama-
ritans dubbed together and hung him.
But it was a grand success. William
was hung with more eclat than any one
else had ever been. People who wit
messed the exercises said that they never
knew man to straighten out a rope
with more unstudied grace and earnest
zeal than William did. He seemed to
throw the whole vim and concentrated
energy of lifetime into this emphatic
gesture. As he hung there limp and
exhausted at the end of the rope, the
chairman of the vigilance committee
SAID, while he took cigar from Will
liam's vest pocket and lit it, that he had
never known man to jump into the
bosom of the great uncertain with more
chic, or more sprightly grace and pre-
cision, than William had. This should
teach us the Importance of doing every
thing thoroughly and well. Whatever
we undertake, aim to do it better than
any one else, 1t is better to be hung,
and know that we have brought out all
there was in the part, and to know that
we expiated our crimes in a way calcu-
lated to win the respect of all, than even
to run for the Senate and get scooped.
Bill Nye.
JAMES GORDON BENNETT wears nine