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

The ruins Of that old country school
house yet remain, deformity by the
roadside. Ii had brick walls, and these
nre not entirely gone. A portion o.
the chimney. to,', is still to be seen
while old foundation stones, and bits oi
lalh, aud brnken layers nf mortar, make
the place desoIate and fotbidding. The
wet, spongy farm lot in the rear is no
bandsnmtr, nor the rude highway more
attractive, than was the case forty years
ago. II would seem us If country sclnnI
huuses. like country grave yards, were
once begruYel the room required for
them, and were hence pushed into tile
most uninviting places.
Even now. in sleep, sometimes dream
Of my school days there, and Of the little
boy with the big b0nts--the s0rrnwful
little boy, whnm none Of us knew enough
to make happy. Boys are not really
more cruel ihnn men, but their well OF
kindness lies deep, and they lenp over ii
and run around il, without knowing how
clear and sparkling its waters would be ii
drawn up.
was a lad Of eleven. the first and only
winter Of my attendance there. am
now mpre than fifty and, in the review,
that single winter seems as long to me :.r
dozen years. The incidents Of youth
have a consistency like thu. Of pure gold,
and the mind afterwards beats them out.
SO that they cover very br0nd surface
Mr.. Tanner, the master, would know in
moment. were he to riso up before me
now; aud the frceh. looking girl Mt 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 huir; the big boys on the back
seat, and the little boys on the front bench
by The stove would recognize them
every one, could acme psychological
wonder bring them back to me again.
with the ln0ks that they have long since
shed, atom by atom, on the road of life.
There was one little fellow about my
own agp, whom. on my first day ut school
remarked us having thoughtful and
somewhat troubled face, aud 10 be pourly
dressed
II WAS cold day in November. and, at
recess, some of the boys put on their over
coats. One uf them, who had q very
handsome garment of the kind, on taking
il down from its nail in the entry, observ
cd beside it an old faded coat belonging
to some one else. This he rudely grnsprd
and, with - jvering, cruel air, md de
riSivc whoop. acclaimed, "Wlat rag is
ti,is?" at the SANS time lie threw il
across the small entry, and out upon the
stone step. Another kicked it III it fell
while third caught il up and ran with il
rs if it were kite or Il banner. Pres.
emily. however, il WIS dropped and II.
the boys became somewhat scnttcred. |
saw the little fellow of the reflective fucr
hastily pick up the de-pited article, and
return il To the place where il had hung.
AS he turned away, his countennnce was
flushed, and lie drew the back uf his
hand across his somewhat handsome
eyes.
1t was his coat, this WINS plain; aud
all my enjoyment IF tile recess was spnl
cd; for tllnnght low he mu,t feel to b.
jeered AT and insultcd for what he could
not help, and what had no doubt caused
him much anxiety and modification. even
before any one had made il aubect OF
rid;cnle. lie did nc. psf 81 the ui;at nj
thnt lime. though he had worn il in the
morning; hut when tho day WIS over.
and Nil tho children were making ready
for hone. rs the bitter wind whistIed must
the door, he 0lce mure bnttnned it around
him aud was glad tn find tint nothing
was said, although some of the buy.
looked curiuusly ut his threadbare attire.
Is if wondering how he could wear such
clothes on the very first day nf schonl.
But nnw observed that he had i'll. fi,tinp
boots, much too large for his feet; anu
although the coat GScuped attack for the
time, the bouts did MT.
"Bunls bnnts u "What IL tho pricc
oc old leather RI" "Who sants to ta:,s n
sail in a-inud scow 2" were some of the
unieeling cjaculations that he was com
PEELED To hear, M lie started uut upon tbe
road with the others, who, after tile man.
ner Of rude shonlboys, snuntered or ran
along pushing eauh other into ditc,es, or
throwing pebbles at gate-posts and trees.
The following day wi.s still colder, and
the boy came wrapped in his pnos over.
coat but this had now ceased TO attract
particular attention; the big bnuts, whicl,
really made remarkable appearance upun
itet 80 small, beuoming the but. instead.
They made nllsr auuad On the shnol
house floor thaifthe bnntA OF any other
boy; aud the sensitive heart OF young Mas.
ter Robert Brown (t0r this WAS the lad'~
naine) told him so. There were enough
others To tell him SO too. Oh, the cruelty
OF those sarcastic smiles and impudent
glances.
One evening. told my parents of the
boy with the lig bonis, who came from
tho other end ni the district; aud my
mother replied that Robert Brown must be
the san of that Mr.. Brown who lived at the
turn ofthe road, twn miles off, an,l who,
by intempcrance, kept his Whole fnmi!y
in misery. Mrs. Brown, my mu,her said,
WAS aii excellent woman, and Was always
m nding and fixingup herchiliren's c 9th.
Ing trying, IN her careful anxious way, u
make sometliing of nothing; aud often,
too, succeeding surprisingly we'll. Robert,
she added, had an elder 6rotier, WHO had
gone to sea; and, perhaps, the big boots
might be apair which he hnd left aIhume.
The family had lately lost lille girl.
h"herts sister, aud were in niiilclinn every
way; and she hoped that would never
show by word or Look that I noticed the
clumsy boots or tho lhreadbare coat.
AMI nnw remember henri,,,s R,he,,
say To himself. snbbingly. Sae ft;sv
when the big boys bad treated him ill
20 little Mamie! little Manic a / am
glad ynu cannot knaw of IL !' t
One day, nut long aficr the commence.
ment of the sch0nl, two % the commitiee
called upon some business with the teach
err; and ut recess some &. the bows ma.
liciously remarked tunt they had ,,bs,ry.
ed these ntfieinls smiling al Rnbert's biy
boats, az he stoDd In his ciax5 or siiufIled
along the filnr. This was no, trne: I'M,
it had its effect. The idea tlla, grown up
Eien could regard him viii, deIision far
his patched jacket aud his ,ponr,, clumsy
boots, seemetIto iinpress himswIth d feel
ing more forlorn than aught else IIai;done
FiUw many fnutfan thnuphta fall .,,. ~: