The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-07-16
PETERSON'S BOOBY.

III he people OF LOWertOn were more
or less given to talking among them
selves about the hoy. And in talking
about him they always evinced deep
pity for the parents, because they had
born to them one who was of weak and
foolish intellect. But notwithstanding
the fact that this boy had been denied
for some mysterious reason that gift
which makes every possessor of it n
king, and his parents the proud reilec-
ton that their offspring was unlike
other children in the world, Glenn
Peterson and his wife could not help
loving. and tcnderlv, the one who now
and hcnceforth was to claim uncon-
Sciously that greater consideration at
their hands which was only his due.
He was now a boy of dozen sum-
mers, and fir from attractive in out
ward appearance, being singularly
grotcsquc Of form, and in his move
ments, awkward in the highes degree.
His feature9were more or less distort-
ed, his hair was of n saffron hue. and
his eyes til, color of grass. His voice
was thin aid nasal, and in speaking he
uttered hiswords in a drawing man
ner. Yet, Notwithstanding all this
lack of comelness and grace, there was
that element in his character which
drew toward him the favorable regard
OF ncary all who knew him, and this
was his truly ailtc:ionate disposition.
Moreovr, unlike most individuals born
to his lot, nothing ever appeared to
rutlle BIS cquanimity OF temper, since.
on Sua occasions he was the same
gentle being. In infancy his parents
gave Inn the name of Tommy. and by
this name he was known in the place.
though a few disrespectful and unfeel-
ing anDng his companions had bestow-
ed on aim the unchristian appellativc
-"B0Gl.'
He velt to the village school, and on
all OCCASIONS conducted himself with Il
decorum which ought to have put TO
shame mlnv of his Schoolmatcs Ii is
open to grave doubt, however. il he
ever rccired IL knowledge of the
alphabet. since, Notwithstanding the
fact that his teacher sought most as
siduously1o inStill into his mind nm
ncquantace with at least the simplest
rudimcntsof the mother tongue, she
failed mt sgnally in her efforts to
elevate til intellectual condition of one
who had NON far lass endowed i, NJ,
rrsnecI thn his frllow. And f,;Iimn
as y scbob Tommy al, f,il.J ,n -
his mart the ,,,n,ns ma ,,,.i,,a,
which ob,in with nost boys mi sn IN
tiue if ofv to hn F., common s.,,,i,,,r
with the nrh,ritohle ,nd nnsyn,n..ha+
ic omonphis comrades ,h,t ..Raab,
isn't ooo1For anvthinr y
The ye.S wont bv and Tor,r,,-
now ne,r,r his sixfaanth s,,r,,,nr IL
no lon,e,.ftnndrd school 5,l,. ta,.
the rotso, that he had crown tircl Of
tho n,rotsnd;,,, n,,n.t,an,' T, af .,,,i, ~
ghich Al ta Ms il,
His nibnr h,d n,Ssod 10 l,o. ,,r.,ro
lcayind bnr husband 10 ,lon. I.,,,l,
over M care tor the one whnso nyisl
tepce, must be confessed b,I bronah,
TO her fe the noin of or;cynus 4 an.
no;ntm,t In ,hn fonnLry ,.,., ~,
home cm Peterson toiled dny ,ftnr
lay fothe sunport necessary 10 Nm.
self anthr drnrnJnnt unon Nm viii,
Tomm IAN idle nobody-w,n1arod
here Il thor, about thc viIl,rn =.
curiosiI promnted him tho en5r+ nf
the srll boys and the but, of tho
larrc ,es. At heart ,he father wa.
;onclv:al man and thn bnrl.n ho
was b,.np rested heavily unon him
The ,rhtest Of his c,rrs was to haws
food nj clothinr for himself and chilL
and n mere labor bcrn thn onn rnn.
siderat1 of his mind his lifn in thn
which law after doy md Wool, ,ftnr
week rcyed mon his soul only IN
h,,nt I'M Win :, misery ,h,t w,u,G
not ooway, wos the rerrction that
he w;,not rs other fathers in thr
world ,d WHY hc-br would ,ur,v to
himseloycr and aoajn-..Nhv w,s
this c,e visited unon mn2''
..Do' take if so hard. Client" S,;1
Hank ,hcn, a fcllow-workman. one
doy ase latter observed his friend ,o
he in unusually sober mood at
ain't ming yo'.e TO blame for, Bear
mn bonn old fellow, That are hoy
ain't avs com TO ljver'
Nd Bit OF itr' exclaimed Mike
Bnrns,othcr workman. ..Hut don't
We for, before Tom peters he'll be
after a somethin' none of veil be
,shomof him forl Now mind what
I'm attn of vel"
OF dsc il was wholly impossible
for thetter individual to have spoken
knoway. am led to think his re-
mark )cecdcd entirely from a sincere
dcsirehis part to buoy up the heart
of tbathcr to belief that in his
child re was spark of latent intel
Toenc.hich. one doy. would Glow
With brightness of noble action.
Buthether or not the speech had
the eff intended, am unable to say.
Certai it did not weigh in the mind