The Colfax chronicle., 1890-05-03
DIRE PROPHECIES.
How the Town Fool Turned Out TO
Be the Town Blessing.

Itnot infreouently happens that there
IA in small towns and villages some boy
or qirl unlike the other boys and girls
in the town. Sometimes this popularity
is of such nature that the person
manifesting it earns for himself the un-
enviable distinction of being somewhat
lacking in the upper story as tne
villagers often express 1T. i
He is spoken of as being "kind OF
queer" or openly called the "town
fool" when his supposed mental weak
ness may consist of nothing more seri-
ous than his thinking and talking and
acting in an original sort OF way.
The town of Wendom, in an Eastern
State, had within its limits fool OF THIS
kind. His name was Hiram Curry. he
was friendless and homeless boy, who
lived first with one villager and then
with another who could find enough for
him toS do to earn his food and second
hand clothing, and he earned all he ever
received, although some of the penuri-
GUS old farmers near Wendom gave
themselves credit for a great deal OF
generosity for allowing Hiram to go TO
school for q few months in the winter
season in return for such trining serv-
ices as feeding and milking six or eight
cows, chopping and carrying In all the
| wood used in the house, feeding forty or
ATTY head of hogs, building all the fires.
and putting in his ''spare time" before
and after school in shelling corn for the
| mill. cburning, washing dishes and
scrubbing kitchen floors
Perhaps it was because he had lived
with so many different people and be-
cause no attention had ever been given
to his manners that poor Hiram was not
| Just like other boys.
"He's been knocked round from pillar
to post all his born days until l RELY
wonder that he's got any sense at all, :"
said old Grandmother Crewe, sympathiz-
inrly. "His pa was a real smart man,
and might have amounted to good deal
If he'd only let ticker alone; but he
wouldn't, and when he was run over and
killed by the cars one dark night and
the shock Of it killed his mother ten
davs later. little Hiram began to be
tossed round from one family to another
in a way that want likely to make him
like other boys, poor little fellerF'
Unfailing cheerfulness was one o.
Hiram's peculiarities of character
) Amid all the sorrows of his hard life he
: presented to the world a smiling face
although there must have been times
when his heart was heavy.
ssHe amt senae enough to reelize hi
, own mis'ry," was what some of the vii
! layers said about Hiram's cheerfulness
] And indeed he had an odd way o
laughing and joking about every thinI
as though human misery was something
he had not yet heard of.
His odds and ends of cast-0h clothing
could not but give him singular ar
pearance. His coat was usually to
. large. his trousers too short, and some
9 times his boots were not mates; but b
would even turn this mortifying fac
: into joke.
e "If a fellow can't have what he want
, it's a good idea to be satisfied with VIVA
e he can get," was one of Hiram's favorit
! sayings.
e He was a boy of fourteen when he frs
e heard the words, "town fool" apple
= to him.
d He had gone down to one of the vi
'e laqe stores one evening to get poun
a of soda for Farmer Gerrish's wife, wit
whom he was staying that winter.
"a The soda had been given him, and |
lg had started to leave the store, but hs
p stopped near the door to look at Il
le things in the showcase, when he heal
@ a stranger at the other end of the sto
le saw in . low tone to the village me
O chant:
or "Well, it's q pity that boy couldr
ID add to the variety of his clothes. Do
the town hire him to ear out its o
duds, and who is he, anyhow"
as 30. him?" Hiram heard the villa
merchant say, sneeringly. Hes SC
IL of a town fool: his names Curry
ne Curry; he works round for his keep.
70 guess he amt got any more sense tn
no the law allows him."
ng Had any one met Hiram hurryi
he home with bowed head, q few momeI
W later, he might not have greeted thu
~ ~ with his usual smile and CHEEKY wor'
at for his face wore fierce, determin
ms look, and his cheeks were wet WI
on something that was not melted 1al
Id. Of flying snow falling on his hot face.
~, The wind blew keenly through
an thin, ill-fitting garments, but every dI
'ra Of blood in his body seemed boiling.
vi. "Ill show 'em who's their town TO
,a,, I'll show em!H he said. again and aga
,re ssThey shan't always call me their to
81 fool If l do wear their old duds n