Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-06-26
cousin Fred came right out to see about

COUSIN fTeu Cbiht lEHt out W Scc abput
it,
Oh! how sorry everybody wasl How
they pited pa! and how they pi tied
ma. and how sorry they were for Bes-
sic and Bob for losin' such noble
brother! and what Il great man L had
given promise of makingl and how
much good they had all calculated on
my doing in the word!
Really. | couldn't help thinkin' it
would have been downright shame II
it hal been me-every body was so sor-
ry.
II was publicly announced in the
town schools. Fred said. and the teach
ers were all so sorry, and the scholars
Just felt dWtui-especially the girls
that sat i'm 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 IA fellow so
much aS they did me, and never let
him know it. I'd a treated them lots
b etter in life, if I'd "a known that
There were resolutions drawed up,
and the teachers cried and said I'd
been good boy and the'd all been so
proud of me. and had so hoped I'd live
to bless the world. Ii seems that |
was the principal hope of that iPstitu-
ton. If I'd "a knowcd they had such
hopes of me. | never would "a whis-
pered or laughed or traded in school,
once.
June 2l.-Thcr was great long
piece in the paper this morning And
oh. evcrybody'S a-feein' so badi The
| Il.
me feel very queer But we've found
out. Somebody did die. hut it wasn't
me. 1t was Just another boy. His
folks moved here lately and are rent
erS
June %. morning. lin 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 re-
turn be a surprise. thought it might
| be too much for everybody if ! Just
went right in 80 them. and | suggested
the propriety OF sending a telegram or
something, to tell them to prepare to
be awfully startled. But pa said he
guessed il wasn't necessary.
So I'm goin' right in just so. Oh.
am 30 anxious to see everybody !
| Won't they all be glad? | feel rs if it
would he "A dreadful thing for every
| body if was TO die hope, harder n
ever. that everybody'll live to rear me.
mean. hope for eyerybody'S sake,
that I'll live to grow up. never want
to alllict people So again. Everybody
liked me so well. and I'm thankful.
and ,.ant To stay with them, I'm go
inc =. have "A good time now. with so
ma friends. guess I'll amount to
a considerable.
:<.ght.-Well. most everybody was
| glaa-i guess. But it wasn't Il bit like
| / tLcught it would be. Everybody has
! heard about it bcin' another boy. and
some had been a-sayin' they knowcd
AL along it wasn't 50. | wasn't the
kind of youth To die early. And one
boy said hadn't brains enough to
catch fever in 'em. And some that
had took on about it looked sheepish:
and that ungrateful Elite Green took
it back and said she never cried bit.
And | wouldn't never have nothing to
say to her again, il | was hundred
years old.
The principal laughed and said the
presidents chair would have TO 90
empty. after ALL and the teachers took
on some. \ good many Of the boy :
said Hello and didn't even shake
hands. And when saw Ed Hunter,
thought. Now he's coming TO tell me
how much he always loved me-" and
looked pleasant ut him; but he turned
off another way. and looked a if he
thought | was "A bigger sneak than
ever. | almost felt | didn't have No
right anywhere.
suppose the folks sorrow had kind
of recOnciled them To my loss. and
when | came back it confused them.
amt sorry I'm goin' home to-mor
row I'm just another boy. after all
an | can't help thinkin' if it had been
that Ed Hunter Himself that had died
there'd "A been just a big fuss mad,
about it, and maybe Elite Green would
have cried too.
It's funny world, but I've got just
a. good a right here rs anybody.
Happy thought! I've made a new
resolution. 1t is to be Just a. good and
studous and promising as all the peo
pie seemed TO think had been. after
that notice appeared. Then if any
thing should happen. folks wouldn'
have to be so two-sided about it.