The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-04-05
STRAPPLES BOY
Beauty May be Proof Agains, a Slight.
 But HomelinesS IS Sensitive

But Homclinrss IS Sensitive
 There never was an ugliet boy than Suapples son. He was so ugly sha, no one ever referred to him as lohn Strap pie. bat as S,tapple's boy lie had a red head, eyes that did not seem to have been su;ilsicntls lighted eaGs that stuck siraieh, oas. motley complexion. hump shoulders. sles" fee, and s walk that caused people 10 tuin around in the s,iee;s and look Al him There were many boys O; Attractive physical condl- tion that were more vicious than Strap ple's son. and there ~eIe5erainly young fetlo~s Al school that were more stupid than he, ye, Suapple's boy solely on ao- coan, of his shape, was looked upon AS both vicious and stupid. The boy vas painfully conscious of the cloud under which he lived. and Il never occurred to h,m that he was designed for anything bua 10 be ugly. until he suddenly found himself in love with the prctsiest girl m school. To fall in love with hAndsome gifi seems to be the fate of an ugly boy. 06e ourse he cannot help this, and eer- ,ainly no one. especially the gifl. thinks the less of him for ii, yet his efforts to appear graceful. h.s premed,,a,ed smile and the care he takes in wishing his haeds almos, up to the wrists. only tend to bring his homeliness into bolder re- lief
 S;rapple's boy bore the aiil,ot,on man sAaay. 'ts tired ;o persuade ..isi.ss.t tas; he was growing better looking. and he carried a small round mirror in his pocket mirror through courtesy, for II was only the top of a biaokin. box-to assis, klm,in noting ,he progress he was making insthat direction. Sometimes il would seem that he had made a grea, jump and again. with the too critical eye of a. a.lover, he noted hs increasing ugli- ness. Once he smiled at Minnie ScaIer. his divinity, bu, she turned up her nose at him. This crushed him, and his ap. petite weakened under the blow Ned Peters, the school bully. noticed the facial performance, and of course turned il to account, Ned was a handsome fellow. with snapping black eyes and ham tha, linked all over his shapely head. He was A fayofiie with the girls, and the teacher an old maid oi much experi. enoc- often called him a li,tle rascal and hssed him.
 :. Let me sec you smile" said the hand some boy, approaching the arden, lover on the playground.
 :. want you te le, me aionen
 wha,1l you take to grin a, me like you did A, Minnie =
 Strapple's boy blG>hed, took oil his hat with feverish hand, put |; on again, turned and walked away. Ned followed him
 Whatil you take
 S,rappie's boy wheeled around, struck Ned m the face, knocked him down and bea, him numerically. The entire school arose in indignation. The idea" sad ,hs teacher, for great, big, good for-no,hing boy like S,rappie's to be4, little Ned" although any one could see that Ned ~as the larger
 He shan, come to my school another day. Ca home. you good-for nothing thing
 SuAppie's boy ven, home, and shortly after~zfds note came from the teacher. The contents of ihis note were never known to the boy. bu, the fact that his father proceeded 10 administer severe punishment, led hin, 10 suppose tha, the communication ~as not of friendly nA- ture
 After much sorro~fsi meditation SIapple decided to send his son away, and shortly afterwards. the unfortunate fcIso~ was posted of to distant ins,iss- ton of learning. Here he remained for years, 10, even coming home daring va- cation, fnr there had never been baf one person in his nauve place whom he cared to see, and even she had turned up her nose a. him. He vent into the lsv. after 1 faishing his scholastic eourse, and l probably newer would hse gese home 1 again, had he nos received . le1ser an- nOuncing the illness of his nsSxhes.
 The people were all ssrpsissd se ses . nas of such kse form, for the boy had sot negiecsed his physical edscation. |