The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-09
Wit versus Muscle.


capital instance of wit versus Drawn. In
the village school new scholar appears
on the playground, carrying two books,
slate and an atlas under his arm, and, as
the story runs, was from the country, and
wore suit of brown jeans, or wooden
homespun, made up in the natural color
of the black sheep, as we call it. He
shyly sided up to the school.house door,
were playing; watching the familiar game
as though he had never seen it before.
"There's the new scholar" said Peter
Rose, or, as he was called, "Pewee Rose,
stout and stalky boy of fourteen, who
had just been caught out by another.
~ say, Greeny, how did you get so
brown ?" called out Will Riley, rather
large, loose-jointed fellow.
Of course all the boys laughed at this.
Boys will sometimes laugh at any one
suffering torture, whether the victim be
q prosecuted cat or prosecuted boy. The
new boy made no answer, but Joanna
Merwin, who, just at that moment hap
pened to be scraping her shoes, saw that
he grew red in the face with quick flush
of anger.
"Don't stand there, Greeny, or the
cows'n eat you upl" called Riley, as he
came round again to the base nearest to
the school-house.
Why the boys should be amused at this
speech the new scholar could not tell
the joke was neither new nor witty-only
impudent and coarse. But the little boys
about the door giggled.
cts pity something wouldn't eat
you, Will Riley-you're good for nothing
but to be mean" This sharp speech came
from rather tall and graceful girl Of
sixteen, who came up at the time, and
who saw the annoyance of the new boy at
Riley's insulting words. Of course the
boys laughed again. 1t was rare sport to
hear pretty Susan Lanham stake down "
the impudent Riley.
"The bees will never eat you for honey,
Susan" said Will.
Susan met the litter of the playground
with quick flush of temper and fine
look of scorn.
"Nothing would eat you, Will, unless,
maybe, a turkey-buzzard, and very hun.
cry one at that"
This sharp retort was uttered with a
merry laugh of ridicule and a graceful
toss of the head, as the mischievous girl
passed lnCO Un6 SCnOOl-nOuSe.
"That settles you, WILL" said Pewee
Rose.
Just then, the stern face of Mr.. Ball,
the master, appeared at the door; he
raped sharply with his ferule, and called
Books, books, booksl" The bats were
dropped, and the boys and girls began
streaming into the school, but some of
the boys managed to nudge Riley, saying:
Poor old creetur,
The turkey-buzzards eat her.
and such like soft and sweet speeches.
Riley was vexed and angry, bnt nobody
was afraid of him, for boy may be both
big and mean and yet lack courage.
The new boy did not go in at once, but
stood silently, and faced the inquiring
looks of the procession of boys as they
fled into the school-room, with their faces
flushed from the exercise and excitement
of the games.
81 can thrash him easy" thought Pewee
Rose.
"He isn't fellow to back down easily"
said Harvey Collins to his next neighbor.
Only good. rough Bob Holli-
day stopped and spoke to the newcomer
friendly word. All that he said was
"Hello " But how much boy can put
into that word Hellol" Bob put his
whole heart into it, and there was no boy
in the school that had bigger heart, a
bigger hand, or half so big foot as Bob
Holiday.
The village schoolhouse was long
one, built of red brick. 1t had taken the
place of the old log institution in which
one generation of Greenbank children
had learned reading, writing and Web
ster's spelling book. There were long,
continuous writing-tables down the sides
of the room, with backless benches, so
arranged that when the pupil was writing
his face was turned toward the wall
there was door at each end, and a box
stove stood in the middle of the room,
surrounded by a rectangle of four back
less benches. These benches were for the
little fellows who did not write, and for
others when the cold should drive them
nearer the stove.
When the school had settled little,
the master struck sharp blow on his
desk for silence, and looked fiercely around
the room. Mr.. Ball was one of those old.
fashioned teachers who gave the impress
sion that he would rather beat boy than
not, and would even like to eat one, if he
could find a good excuse. His eye Ii,
upon the new scholar.
"Come here" he said, severely, and
then he took his seat.
The new boy walked timidly up to q
place in front of the masters desk. He
was not handsome, his face was thin, his
eyebrows were prominent, his mouth was
rather large and good-humored, and there
was that sly twinkle about the corners o.
his ewes which always marks a fun-lovinl
spirit. But his was a serious, fnegrainet
face, with marks of suffering in it, and HI
had the air of having been once stront
fellow of late, evidently, shaken to piece
by the ague.
"Where do you live 2" demanded Mr.
Ball.
ain the Indian Reserve, of late; wa
born in Cincinnati"
al didn't ask you where you were born
When I ask you question answer thai
and no MORE"
UYao air" There WAS a touch of some