The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-06-07
BAD BILL BROWN.
CHAPTER l.

 career of fourteen yeas, whipped every abie-bodied boy in the neighborhood. Old negroes in speaking of Bill Brown would often say: Dat ar boy is terrer, an lessen my 'sperience is dun quit faborin' me wid de light O hits coun- ternunce, dat chile is runnin' mighty fas' in de 'rection O some powerful bad eend."
 A sophomore Sunday school teacher, a pale young man with an assumed air of reverential devotion, one day took oc- casion to lecture Bill Brown while the school was in session.
 Billie Brown" said the teacher, have been thinking for some tune that my duty as teacher of this class de- mands of me few words of warning Tn attempted arrest of a course which must, if pursued, ultimately result in great dis asser to yourself and humiliation to your friends"
 "Is that all 2" asked Bill, amused a, the young mans painful precision in stating proposition.
 Hear me through, sir. l say that 1 believe it to be my duty to openly lecture you concerning the reckless course which you are pursuing. Bill, ve all recognize the fact that you are boy of excellent sense, and that you have read quite be- yond your years, therefore, l, for one, would stretch forth hand to draw you back from the precipice from which you seem determined to leap"
 The teacher slyly glanced at several young ladies whose good opinions he was desirous to win.
 "Yes," he continued, "l would draw you back from the crumbling edge of the abyss"
 Thought: i: was pTeeipice P
 "Wais, sir. Iwould assist you in walk ing along the smooth pathway of mor- alisy. Every day hear stories of your dersavity. It pains me to say so, but you are a very bad young person. dislike to speak thus in the presence of the entire school, joyously gathered un- der these banners of Zion. but feel it to be my duty. am sure that your mother"
 My mother is dead, sir r
 "A pity for you. If she were alive am sure that she would approve of my course. Your father"
 !" My father was killed at Gettysburg Tears began to roll from the boys eyes and the moral people thought that d, las. the wicked boys heart had been touched.
 Had l been acquainted with the history of your family" continued the young sophomore, would have made no reference to your parents, feeling that it must be painful to those with whom you are associated, if not to one so wicked and hard-hearted as yourself"
 The boy arose and glared at the teacher "Mr. Vine" said he. "I don't object to being lectured, for it is an every day occurrence, but when you speak of my parents, and then intimate that am too wicked to have a tender feeling for them, it insults every fiber of my body and enrages my soul. will see you be- fore long and hold you accountable for your words" and turning with an air which his acquain,ances had never be- fore seen him assume, he strode from the presence of the astonished assemblaee, and, seeking the woods, was soon lost to view.
 The baneful effect of novel reading," said the superintendent. Children, that boy is novel reader"
 The children, not understanding the superintendent, but thinking that he re- ferred to some terrible vice, shuddered and whispered among themselves. "I am told," continued the superintendent, "that Bill Brown reads every novel that he can get, that he not only borrows them, but that much of the money which he earns instead of going for the neces- sities of life, is thrown away on fictitious thought"
 The sophomore, Mir. Vine, inwardly objected to fictitious thought" for the time which he had spent with Whately and other text bookmakers of logic, had taught him that, like the writings of John Horn Tooke, there might be fallacious reasoning, but that there could be no fictitious thought, yet he nodded in ac- quiescence, anc smiled at the young ladies whose good opinions he felt had been surrendered to him.
 "Yes, 6ctitious thought" continued the superintendent pleased at receiving the sanction of one % learned as the sophomore. Fictitious thought, my