Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-07-29
A TROUBLESOME BOY.
An Honest Farmer Comes to His
Rescue.

ho na0 just completed his fifteenth wear,
was famous at cricket and football, rode
his bicycle up and down the steepest
gradients, was fearless swimmer, and
indeed the athletic paragon of his
schoolmates. But he began to tire of
his lessons, and to utter dark conf
| dences to his sisters that Latin would
be no use to fellow when he grew up;"
that ''he felt like loafer as he went
along the lanes to the grammar-school;"
that ''Sam Jackson and Harry Wilde
We're going to business at Easter; and
that if papa did not find him something
to do, he should perhaps run away to
sea-. This last confidence, which was
given on windy night, when the rain
FLASHED most dismally against the Win
dows of the children's room, quite
alarmed TOMS sisters, who were ro-
mantle and tender-hearted girls of sew
enteen and eighteen. They began to
cry and to beg the indignant lad not to
do any thing SO dreadful. But the
more they petitioned, the more stub
born Tom grew. Tears and entreaties
only hardened him into tirmer deter
mination to doff his mortar-b board cap
for ever. How could he stay at school,
when his chums, Sam Jackson and
Harry Wilde, had gone to business!
| What did girls know of a fellow vexa-
ton at being left with lot of young
| boys, not one of whom could hold bat
or keep goal! To sea he would 90, I'M
less papa got him some sort of a berth
by Easter.
The poor girls were crying very bit
terly, and the rain throbbed in sympathy
aga nst the panes, and Tom stamped up
and down the floor, when his mamma
came in. She was much surprised at
the scene; for the children were always
on the best of terms. She was still more
| surprised, and little dismayed, when
she learned the cause of the scene. Be-
ing a prudent and self-restraining
woman, however, she did not say much;
and with few general remarks, that
| of course all boys must 90 to business
in due time she terminated the painful
| discussion. After supper, when her
| husband and self We're alone, she startled
the good easy man by relating what had
taken place. Tom father was the
principal doctor of the neighborhOod,
which was so salubriOuS and so poor
| that he must have left it long before,
had he not possessed little indie
tendency. which kept the household
atloat He was of an indolent turn,
getting gray and fat. like his old cob.
Want of work magnificent health. and
managing wife, who took all the worries
of life off his shoulders, made him obliv-
ious of the young world growing round
his hearth. He could not imagine that
his boy and girls were weaving antici-
patory tissues of their lives, that these
young birds were getting tiedged for
flights far away from the hOme-nest.
SO, the announcement of Toms re-
| bellion against school, and his thoughts
| of evasion, came on the doctor as the
| greatest event he had known for years.
! ''Now YOU mention it, Maria" said
/ he, when he began to quiet down a
| " growing big fellow. He'll be six
feet high. if he $ an inch, by his TWEEN
| tieth year. And what Il square, stiff
back he's got. He takes after my moth
er's family; they We're all strapping fell
! lows. Yes, Toms too big for school.
He's like salmon among minnows,
among the grammar-school boys, Dear,
dear, how lads do grow,''
"Yes, yes,' broke in Toms mother,
a little tartly-she had temper of her
own, as all managing women have
Tom is big, and will be bigger; that
goes without the saying. But what is
to be done for the poor boy? What ca
reer do you propose for him"
Upon my life, | haven't the ghost of
an idea, Maria. Now you have brought
this matter on the carpet it recalls a
good deal l have heard of late. When
/ was at Bimpson's the other day, at
tending his wife of her seventh boy,
Bimpson sad to me, over glass of
wine: Doctor, he is fine child, adj
nit; but how he'll get bread and cheese.
if he lives, Il can't guess at ALL. And
the poor fellow broke out into quite a
jeremiad over the redundancy of boys
Just now. He has three lads waiting for
careers, and the deuce an opening can
he find! Then there is Clumpit, the
wheelwright-you know Clumpit, Ma
ria? Well, I've been attending him for
hypochondria. He can find nothing
suitable for his eldest son: and it preys
on his mind, because the mother won't
let him 90 away ftom home to try his
luck in some of the big towns. And old
Burrows met me the other day, and
quite pit fully asked me if | could adj
wise him what to do with his grandson.
| was really sorry for the poor old man.
| Toms mother looked more anxious
as the doctor went on ramblingly; and
at last she said: ''All this leads to moth
ing. Tom must have cereer arranged
| for him by us, or he will take the mat
! ter in his own hands. | can read his
mind; | know him better than you. my
dear. What must we do with him?'
Il tell you, again, Maria, l have not
a ghost of an idea. Yet, do know one
thing shall not be medical mani
Here the doctor rel GIFTED his cigar
and smoked in frowning thoughtfulness,
until Tom ; mother said decisively:
"Weil, if yOW do not know what is to
be done with the dear child, we must
ask the opinion of our friends. |. for
my part, can not allow this subject to
drop. 1t must be taken up and carried
out to the needful end. l know too
well your easy-going way. To-mor-
row. you will forget all about poor
Tom. l say. and with emphasis, we
must find a career for our boy. AS you
have no ideas, | shall write to such of
our friends as have experience of the
world; and ask them either to advise us,
| by coming over here to sort of family
council, or else to tell us by letter
Your connections and mine have among
them a great deal of experience; they
know what prospects there are for the
rising generation better than we can
know, in this out-of-the-way place. So,
| / tell YOU, my dear, nv minds made
up; and tomorrow 1 will write the let
| terS."
"You are a genius, Maria, as
I've often told Won. / believe