The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-10
a STORY FOR BOYS.

house yet remain, a delormity by the
roadside. 1t had brick walls. and these
are not entirely gone. A, portion OF
the chimney, too, is still to be seen !
while old foundation stones, and bits OF
lath, and broken layers Of mortar, make
the place desolate and afetbidding. The
wet, spongy farm-lot in the rear lis no
bandsomer, nor the rude highway more
attractive, than wassthe case forty years
ago. 1t would seem US if country scho"l
houses, like country grave yards, we're
once begruged the room required tor
them, and were hence pushed into the
most uninviting places.
Even now, in sleep, / sometimes dream
Of INV school. DAYS there, and of the little
boy with the big boots-the sorrt'wfll
little boy, whom none Of MS knew enough
to make happy. Boys are not really
more. cruel than men, but their we'll OF
Kindness lies deep, and they leap over II
and il, without knowing how
clear and sparkling its waters would be II
" drawnlup.
was q, lad of eleven, the first and only
winter of my attendance there. | am
now more than ffty; and, in the review,
that single winter seems as long to me '.s
dozen wears. The incidents OF youth
have consistency like that Of pure gold,
and the mind afterwards beats them out,
so that they cover very broad surface.
Mr.fTanner, the master, | would know IN
moment were he to rise up before me
now; and the fresh-looking girl at the
desk in the corner; and the blue-eyed
& country beauty. whose seat was by the
window and the freckled boys, and boys
with tow hair; the big boys on the back
seat, aud the little boys on the front bench
by The stove; I would recognize them
eyery one. could some psychological
wonder bring them back to mo again.
with the looks that they have long since
shed, atom by atom, on the road OF life.
There was one little fellow about my
own age, whom, on my first day Mt schoo!
: I remarked us having a thoughtful and
somewhat troubled face, aud to be poorly
dressed.
1t was cold day in November, and, at
recess, some of.the boys put on their over
coats. One tuf them, who had very
handsome garment Of the kind, on taking
it down from its nail in the entry, observ.
ed beside it an old faded coat belonging
to some one else. Thishe rudely grasped
and, with a jeering, cruel air, and de.
risive whoop, acclaimed, "What rag is
this?n At the same timoi lie threw it
across the small entry, and out upon the
stone step. Another kicked it as it fell
while n third caught it up and ran with it
no IF II we're kite ar banner, Pres.
ently, however, it was dropped; and ae
the boys became somewhat scattered. /
saw the little fellow of the reflective face
hastily pick up the despised article, and
return it to the place where it had hung.
AS he turned away, his countenance WAS
flushed, and he drew the back of his
hand across his somewhat handsome
eyes.
It was his coat, this was plain; and
all my enjoyment of the recess WAS spoil
ed; for thought low he must feel to be
ieered at and insulted for what he could
not help, aud what had no doubt caused
him much anxiety and modification. even
before any one had made it subject OF
ridicule. He did not put onthe coat at
that time, though lie had worn it in the
morning; but when the day was over.
and all the children were making ready
for home. as the bitter wind. whistled past
the door, he 0lce more buttcned it around
him; aud WAS glad to find that nothing
was said, although some of the boys.
looked curi0usly ut his threadbare attire,
as if wondering how he could wear such
clothes on the very first day of school.
Butt now observed that he had i'll fitting
boots, much too large for his feet; and
. although the coat escaped attack for the
time, the bouts. did not. -,--,s.,
.Boots boots !'' "What is the price
osold leather" "Who wants to take
sail in a.,nud. scow 7" were some Of the
unfeeling ejacnlations that he was com
PEELED to hear, ashe started out upon the
road with the others, who, after the man.
ner of rude shoolboys, sauntered or ran
along pushing each other into bitches, or
throwing pebbles at gate. posts and trees.
The following day Was still colder, and
the boy came wrappedin his poor over,
coat; but this had now ceased to attract,
particular attention; the big boots, which
really made remarkable appearance upon
feet SO small, becoming the butt instead.
They made louder sound ontthe sshn0l
house floor thaH the bnots Of any other
boy and The sensitive heart OF young Mas
ter Robert Brown (for this was the lads
name) told him 80. There were enough
Others to tell him so too. Oh, the cruelty
of those sarcastic smiles and impudeDt
glances.
One evening. told my parents Of the
boy with the Lig boots, who came from
the other end of the district; and my
mother replied that Robert Brown must be
the son of that Mr. Brown who lived at the
turn of the road, two miles of, and who,
by intemperance, kept his Whole family
in misery. Mrs. Brown, my mother said,
was all excellent woman, and WAS always
m nding and Observation-Disclosures c'oth-
Ing trying, in her careful, anxious way, to
make something OF nothing; aud often,
Too, succeeding surprisingly wel. Robert,
she added, had an elder brother, Who had
gone to sea; and, perhaps, lahe big boots
might be y pair which he had left at home.
The family had lately lost little girl.
Roberts sister, and were in atliction every
way; and she hoped that would never
show by word or look that noticed the
clumsy boots or the threadbare.. coat.
And now I remember hearing Robert
say to ...aself. sobbingly, one day,
when the big boys rad treated him i'll,
20 little Mamie! little Mamie! / am
glad you cannot know of i'll!
One day, not long after the commence
ment of the schoul, two of the committee
called upon some business with the teach
er; and at recess some of the boys ma.
liciously remarked tnat they had obs,rv
ed these officials smiling at Roberts big
boots, as. he stoud in his class or shuff1ed
along the h,mr. This was not true but
it had its effect. The idea that grown up
men could regard him with derision for
his patched jacket aud his poor, clumsy
hnnfs seemed To- impress him. with 4 feel.