The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-11-15
A BOYS FUNNY EXPERIENCE.


What He Found Out and How 1t Affected
Him-IIis Good Resolution.
June 2O.-Ill have 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 90 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 L hadn't
never been in.
In the paper, l mean. So was lust
the suprisedest you ever saw, to read
yesterday, in little corner: Died,
June l8, in Hickory Township, of BRAIN
fever, James Willis, aged thirteen
years" That was me! only, of course.
VI hadn't died, nor nothing, and l lived
in Hickory and all. But then, it aoasnT
me, of course, and still | couldn't help
believin' it was, if they'd only left out
the braIn-tever and the dyin.
Everybody else thought it was me,
tod 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 Il 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, ] 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 lust
felt dWjULespecially the gitl 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 ike fellow as
much as they did me, and never let him
know it. I'd a treated them lots bet
ter in life, if d "a known it.
There We're resolutions drawcd up,
and the teachers cried and said I'd been
good boy and they'd always been so
plONu VI me- Stitl Iltlt ~ llOptu L u i've
to bless the world 1t seems that I was
the principal hope of that institution. If
I'd a knOwed they had such hopes of
me, never would a whispered or
laughed or traded in school, once.
Juae 2I.-There was a great long
piece in the paper this morning. And
oh, everybody's a-feelin' so bad! The
resolutions came out, too. They made
me- feel very queer. But we've found
out. Somebody did die, but it wasn't
me. 1t was just another boy. His folks
moved here lately, and are renters.
Jalne %, MOERjng. going to town
to-day with Fred. He wrote his folks a
postal, sayin' | was all right, but for
them not to tell, but let my return be
surprise. l thought it might be too
much for everybody if just went right
in to them, and | suggested the
propriety Of sending telegram or
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! Won't
they all be glad? | feel as if it would
be dreadful thing for everybody if |
UGS to die. | hope, harder'n ever, that
everybody'll live to rear me. | mean.
hope for everybody's sake, that I'll
live to grow up. | never want to afIlict
people so again. Everybody liked me
so well, and I'm so thankful and want
to stay with them! I'm going to have Il
good time now, with so many friends.
guess III amount to n considerable.
NtJh. - Well, most everybody was
glad guess. But it wasn't bit like
j thought it would be. Everybody had
heard about it bein' another boy, and
some had been a-sayin' they knowed ali
along it wasn't so. | wasn't the kind
of youth to die early. And one boy
said hadn't brains enough to catch a
fever in 'em. And some that had took
on about it looked shGepish; and that
ungrateful Elite Green took it back,
and said she never cried a bit. And
wouldn't never have nothing to say to
her again, if / was hundred years old.
The Principal laughed, and said the
Presidents chair wouldn't have to go
empty, after ALL and the teachers took
on some. A good many of the boys
said "Hallo" and didn't even shake
hands. And when saw Ed Hunter,
thought: ''Now he's coming to tell me