Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-09-04
WHAT JOHN FOUNA

WHAT JUHN FUUNM
Recess was nearly over. The boys
and girls gathered IN the playground
outside of the log schoolhouse, but no
play was going on. Most of the bows
had their books in their hands, and were
porting over them as if to make up for all
the idle time of their lives: the girls sat
on the wood pile, whispering and look
ing at the girls with kind of ave.
The school.house was built. just out
side OF a mountain village in North
Carolina. The boys were dressed in
butternut, or blue cloth, the girls in
kind of linsey, all of which their
mothers had spun and woven.
Outside of the fence was gang of
little negroes, whom the white children
ordered about with an air of authority:
for, poor as they were, their fathers all
were slave owners. There was a row of
81 ny black faces at the top of the fence.
CORY! Look at Mas Willl tink
he get itl'
Pshawl G'long, you Victorvl Our
Mas Bob's twict as good a scholar. See
how he pokin' into dat book
The others volunteered no opinions,
but shouted:
"Hooray Which of We gwine to be
de sojer9 Mas Bob Sewer he gw1ne |!
Cunnel Bob Sevierl Hoorayr'
Never had there been such day
known in Uncle Jobs school.
Bob Sewer. fair, thin boy, with
round blue eyes, sat on the steps, turning
over the leaves of his 9 Historic Sacre. .
He knew every word and line; but he
turned leaf after leaf with his cold,
shaking fingers.
When the little negroes shouted for
''f:Dnnel Bobln he felt lump in his
throat choking him. If he should rot
win Bob had always been head boy in
the school, but during the last month he
had worked harder than ever. The
cause was this: Judge Peters, who was
now Congressman from this district, had
paid visit to the village few weeks
! before, and had dropped into the school
one morning and made the boys q little
speech.
was pupil here, he said. "There
is the very desk at which sat. Uncle
Job taught me pretty much all know
My father could not afford to send me to
college, and am sure neither can your
fathers afford to send you there. But
want to give some boy here chance
such as did not have. ] have the an
pointment of cadet to West Point. and
propose instead of giving it to some
rich mans son, that the boy in this
school who passes the bet examination
a month from now shall have it.
This was the speech. 1t made the
: II Ls<1
their brains. Not boy there who did
not see himself colonel in full regiment
ais, preceded by brass band, riding up
the streets of the village in triumph.
They fell to studying. most of them for
the first time in their lives. They never
had done anything but lounge about the
sunny, chilly highland hamlet, listening
to the interminable stories of the hunters.
who come in with peltry, or playing
ssisty OUT with the little negroes
John Fremoy, the shabbiest of them
all. sat apart from the other boys with
his sister Louise.
Now, Lou, Just hear me this page. y
and he began: 'Charlemange. other
wise Charles the Great, was the son of
Pepin the Short, the first Of the Carlo
vingian -Carlovingia oh, what comes
next2''
Dynasty, !" prompted Lou.
tsAnd what's the meaning Of dynasty. J
| I'd like to knowa Such rubbish I don't
understand . word Of It'll There's no use
to try. Lonl''
LOUIS eyes filed, and the tears rolled
down her flushed cheeks; but John only
shut his jaws q little firmer, and fixed his
dark eyes on the ground They were
honest, kind eyes, but dull: very differ
emit from Bob Sewers, which glowed
like lamps
q might IS well give up, Lou. Uncle
Job says patience and hard work VIII
take any boys through. But there's !
difference IN boys. Now. Bob Sewer
don't work half As hard over his books
- I do: but Just look ct him. I reckon
he could 60 over the Carlovingians, or
any other Vingian, like q trotkin'
horse.
Oh. yes, reckon be could, eroaned
Lon sEnk only think Of West Point.
Jack You'd - gentleman and :