The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-12-11
A BOYS FUNNY EXPERIENCE.
What He Found Out and How 1t Affected
Him-His Good Resolution.


Him-His Good Resolution.
June 2O.-In have a lot to write,
now. More than / ever had before, for
I've found out something.
Six months ago we moved out here
on our farm, and then we didn't 60 to
town, only just once in while, on the
cars. They put it in the paper when
we left, and once in while they put it
in that pa had been in the city-when
he called on the editor. But | hadn' {
never been in.
In the paper. mean. So was just
the surprisedest you ever saw, to read
yesterday. in a little corner: "Died,
June IS, in Hickory Township, of brain
fever, James Willis, aged thirteen
years" That was me! only, of course,
l hadn't died, nor nothing, and l lived
in Hickory and all. But then, it wasn't
me, of course, and still couldn't help
believin' it was. if they'd only left out
the braln-fever and the dyin'.
Everybody else thought it was me,
tool mean everybody in town-and
Cousin Fred came right out to see about
it.
Oh, how sorry everybody was! How
they pitied pa! and how they pitied ma!
and how sorry they were for Bess and
Bob for losin' such noble brother! and
what great man ] had given promise
of making! and how much good they
had all calculated on my doing in the
world!
Really, I couldn't help thinkin' it
would have been downright shame if
it had been everybody was so sorry.
1t was publicly announced in the town
schools, Fred said! and the teachers
were all SO sorry, and the scholars just
felt GeCful-especia the girl that had
sat in front of me. and the two girls
back of me, all who had borrowed my
knife and things most Of the time
think it's wrong to like fellow as
much as they did me, and never let him
know it. I'd "a treated them lots bet
ter in life, if I'd "a known it.
There were resolutions drawed IN.
and the teachers cried and said I'd been
a good boy and they'd always been SO
proud of me, and had so hoped I d live
to bless the world. 1t seems that I was
the principal hope of that institution. Il
I'd "a knowed they had such hopes OF
me, | never would "a whispered OF
laughed or traded in school, once.
June 2I.-There was q great long
piece in the paper this morning. And
oh, everybody's a-feelin' so badi The
resolutions came out, too. They made
me feel very queer. But we've found
out. Somebody did die, but it wasn't
me. It was just another boy. His folks
moved here lately, and are renters.
June %, Morning. I'm going to town
to-day with Fred He wrote his folks a
postal, sayin' was all right, but fol-
them not to tell, but let my return be a
surprise. | thought it might be too
much for everybody if just went right
in to them, and l suggested the
propriety of sending telegram Oh
something, to tell them to prepare to be
awfully startled. But pa said he guess.
ed it wasn't necessary.
So I'm goin' right in, Just so. Oh.
am so anxious to see everybody! Wonft
they all be glade | feel as if it would
be g dreadful thing for everybody if
tcas to die. hope, harder'n ever, thai
everybody'l live to rear me. mean
| hope for eyerybody's sake, that III
live to grow up. | never want to affiict
people SO again. Everybody liked ms
so well, and I'm SO thankful, and wan
to stay with them! I'm going to have {
| good time now, with SO many friends
[ guess I'll amount to considerable.
Night. = Well, most everybody wa
/ glad guess. But it wasn't bit lik,
/ thought it would be. EVERYBODY hat
heard about it bein' another boy. ant
some had been a-sayin' they knowed al
along it wasn't so. / wasn't the kim
of youth to die early. And one bo,
said / hadn't brains enough to catch
fever in 'em. And some that had tool
on about it looked sheepish; and tina
I ungrateful Elite Green took it back
and said she never cried Bit And
wouldn't never have nothing to saw t,
her again, If I was hundred years old
The Principal laughed, and said tn
Presidents chair Wouldn't have to q
empty, after all, and the teachers tool
on some. A good many of the boy
said, ''HalloI' and didn't even shak
hands. And when saw Ed Hunter,