The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-13
"0UR BOYS"

Shortly after | took charge of large
town school an incident occurred that
showed me how little dependence there
is to be placed in the honor or truthful
ness of an average big boy During
recess the pupils were in the habit OF
writing with chalk OF the blackboards
that completely surrounded the school
room. This so filled the room with
chalk dust that the breathing was diff
cult, so forbade the writing. One
day when | had been out with the pu-
pills in the yard, | came to the school
room door and saw Master Tommy
Atkins alone in the room industriously
writing the sentence 'sDo not write on
the blackboards. 1 quietly withdrew
without the boys notice, and when l
next entered the room was empty.
When school was called the eyes of all
were turned to the audacious hand
writing on the wall. When quiet was
restored | said:
''Who wrote that sentence"
There was no answer.
"NOw,' said |, ''the chances are that
those words were written by some one
now in this room. Intend to find out
who is the culprit. The crime is not a
great one, but if to it is added persist
ent falsehood it will become serious, in
my eyes at least. Let the pupil who
disobeyed have the manliness to stand
up and acknowledge his fault before
the school"
NOone stood up. The boys looked at
each other, but no one moved.
''Well, all that did not write that
sentence stand"
Like one boy the whole school arose
to its feet, Atkins among the rest.
Inext had each boy stand up sepa-
rately, and l asked him on his honor if
he had written the line. shall never
forget the look of honest indignation
with which Thomas Atkins denied all
knowledge of the writing When this
examination was over there was a mo-
ment of painful silence.
"Well, boys said, sit just amounts
to this: If things remain as at present
the imputatiOn rests on the whole
school. If any of you can suggest a
remedy, / shall be pleased to hear it. -
There was an indignant murmur over
the room, and one boy rose to his feet
bAAhhs WI. OOutS, Hc IudO
you are wrong in blaming us all for
what one has done. If 1 had written on
the board l would have stood up and
said sou
81 believe you, 1 answered.
''Then why not believe us ALL" said
several voices at once.
81 will be glad to do so at the mo-
ment you convince me that the hand
writing came there in similar manner
TO that at Belshazzar's feast. None of
you believe that, so, as / said before, do
any OF you see way out of the woods?'
Another boy rose to his feet, giggled
q moment and sat down again.
The whole school laughed-boy ma
ture exactly-the one moment serious,
the next one giggle.
'Come, John, what suggestion have
you to offer? Don't be bashful."
John rose again, looked half comic
ally around and said, with suppressed
mirth:
''When [ went to school down East
some one broke pane, and the master
couldn't find outwho it was, so he be-
gan at one end of the room and whipped
every scholar in the building"
well, john" l said, 81 attended a
similar matinee myself once when was
young. The plan has the merit of in
cluding the culprit. yet fancy the rest
OF the pupils might consider it unfair"
The first boy now stood up again.
master, he ventured, hesitatingly,
81 think it is no more unfair than say
ing that the imputation rested on us all
merely because some boy whom YOU
cannot find out has told lie"
"You are right" 1 said, s'and l was
wrong in saying so. Only one boy is
guilty, and l will never believe until
his conduct convinces me that there is
another in this room who is so cowardly
and untruthful."
rose and went quickly down the
room, seized Atkins BY the collar and
Jerked him into the center of the aisle,
and with a vigorous shove sent him
headlong forward towards the platform
with speed that taxed his agility to
keep his feet 1 whirled him around
facing the pupils and cried:
Atkins, who wrote that sentence on
the wall?'
'I-L-I did, sir.''
''Of course you did. Now I'm goinp
to reverse Johns plan. am going to
concentrate on your shoulders the pun
ishment that the down Fast schoolmas-