San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-07-26
A Renaissance.

"9h tne nfst tina
ever so solemnly and forever s~ e!
the platform. 1t was on the llth 'el'
18th of May. at Antwerp, Ohio I M o.
weather was warm. The hare. ba. ias
bugs and the big blunderipU SssSsd
that fly by night were abundant '' ~
offensive. The open windows n ~. %a
hall gave the boys on the street. ~ We a'
they patrolled their noisy beats aha rs
dant opportunity to chat the lec sUua'
whose gigantic form they could nls;a
ly see, but whose eloquent rem r,s.
they could dimly hear, and illv oa.a
prehend. '0u''
AS a general thing have obse,,.,
that when the lecturer on the platfo,'a
and the boysin the street are address
ing one audience at the same t;ms
the audience appears to be most n,e'
foundly interested in the remarks '~ "
the boys. I thought, and l still tbinS
it is very foolish for an audience ~
pay so cents a head to hear me. and
then sit and listen to the boys, whom
they might have heard for notb;nr
But that is the way an audience has
anyhow. So, that night, I did M,
care for the boys. I would not ner'
NIT the tithing man to 60 out and
entreat the boys roughly and comnsI
them to "shut up their heads" as h.
wished to do, not even when thew
Knocked me, and in shrill falsetto en-.
treated me to "give them rest" as.
suring me they heard enough Of that"
and besought me, with lily dissembled
concern, not to "bite off more than !
could chaw.' l only smiled pleas
antly and said, ebay, hinder them
not. Let them shout. I was once a
boy myself" And I smiled again
and the tears stood in my eyes.
But inwardly I was ravening wolf,
with a brass collar and two rows Of
spikes.
On my way to the hotel l overlook
a boy who was still yelling and howl.
ing at me, for he wot not that the
lecture was over.
And my anger got fierce and got
hold upon him, and smot him sore,
and encompassed him round with a
piece of barrel hoop, and necked him,
insomuch that he wept bitterly, and
was sore astonished, and swore that
he would make full report Of these
things unto the mother that bore him,
yea, even unto his big brother, and to
the father of his loins.
But I heeled him not, neither was
I moved with compassion, nor yet
striker with fear, for I visit that his
mother lived away on the other side
of the river, and his big brother was
not and never had been, and bis faith.
er was night Waterman, and there.
fore, at that time of night sound
asleep in some secluded doorway.
Moreover, I was going away on the
4 a. m. train. Wherefore, I smots
him once again, and said:
IF it be that another lecturer
cometh this way, will it seem httn
unto thee to sit on the curbstone and
make marry with thy friends, even
while he speaketh words unto The
multitude?"
And he lifted up his voice, and
wept bitterly, and swore unto me-
saying: As my sole liveth' hope
may die if l do"
And I let up on him. And 1t was
so that when he was gone away, as rs II
might be bow shot, that he called
aloud, and wagged his tongue agalns1
me, and Knocked me and called
"Smarty" and cast stones after me-
and followed me even unto the I'M,
and dared me half way, and revlIeu
me because 1 would not, saying; hO
Fraid cat Fraid cat!" :,
And l sought to Stay him, but T., c SG
not, for he was like unto the children
of Benjamin, and could sling stones e.
at a hair breadth, and not miss. II"