Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-05-24
DIRE PROPHECIES.
How the Town Fool Turned Out to
Be the Town Blessing.

Itnot infreouently happens that there
Is in small towns and villages some boy
or girl unlike the other boys and girls
In the town. Sometimes this popularity
il OF such a nature that the person
manifesting II earns for himself the I'M
enviable distinction OF being somewhat
lacking In the upper story" as the
villagers often express It.
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 scri-
Gus than his thinking and talking and
acting In an original sort OF way.
The town OF wcndom, In an Eastern
State, had within its limits a fool Of this
kind. His name was Hiram Curry. He
was friendless and homeless boy, who
lived first with ono villager and then
with another who could find enough for
him to 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 great deal of
generosity for allowing Hiram 10 go Ia
school for few months in the winter
season IN return for such trifiing serv.
ices az feeding and milking six or eight
cows, chopping and carrying In all the
wood used In the house. feeding forty OF
fifty head OF hogs. building all the fires.
and putting in his spare time" before
and after school in Smelling corn for the
mill. churning. washing dishes and
scrubh.ng kitchen floors.
Perhaps a was because he had lived
with 50 many different people and he
cause no attention had ever been given
10 his manners that poor Hiram was not
just like other boys.
''IIe's been knocked round from pillar
20 post all his born days until RELY
wonder that he's got amy sense at all. !"
said old Grandmother Crewe, sympathiz-
ingly. Ellis pa WAS a real. smart man.
and might have amounted to good deal
II 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
days later, little Hiram began TO bc
tossed round from one family To another
In a way that want likely to make him
like other boys, poor little fellerr'
unfailing shrerfulness was one Of
Hirnm's pccnliaritics 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.
"fie amt sense enough TO reelize his
own mls'ry," was what some Of the vii
layers said about Iiiram's cheerfulness.
And indeed he had an odd way 81
IL ht,,.
as though human misery was something
he had not yet heard OF.
His odds and ends Of cast-off clothing
could not but give him a singular ap
pearance. Ills coat was usually 20,
large, his trousers too short. and some
times his boots were not mates, but hs
would even turn this moriifying fac
into joke.
''ff fellow can't have what he wants
it's good idea 10 be- satisfied with wha
he can get, was one of Hiram's fayorit,
sayings.
lie was a hoy Of fourteen when he frs
heard the words, town fool applied
% him.
lie had gone down to one of the vii
lage stores one evening TO get pount
OF soda for Farmer Gerrlsh's wife, witt
whom 30 was staying that winter.
Tho soda had bren given him. and h,
had started to leave the store. but has
stopped near the door 70 look at TN
things in the showcase, when he hear
stranger at the other end Of the stor'
say in low tone to the village mer
chant.
well, it's q pity that boy rouldn'
add To tho variety of his clothes Doe
the town hire him to wear out it's oil,
dnds. and who Is he. anyhow.
20, him2n Hiram heard the 'villag'
merchant say. sueeringly. lies sor
OF town fool: his names Cnrry-li
Curry. he works round for his keep.
guess he Amt got any more sense thar
the law allows him."
Had any one met Hiram hurryinl
home with bowed head. few moment
later. he might not have greeted then
with his USUAL smile and cheerr words
for his face wore fierce, determines
look, and his cheeks we're wet wit
something that was not melted fake
OF flying snow falling on his hot face.
The wind blew keenly through hi
thin. ill-titting garments, but every dro
OF blood in his badly seemed boiling,
sI.ll show em who's their town fool
I'll saoW en- he said. again and again
''They shan't always call me their tow
fool. II ! do wear their old duds nor
and work for my keep earn all gel
and tkeY knew it. I'll sAor EN-
The next day az school he was tn
same smiling. good-natured boy he ha
always been but his lessons were un
usually vol learned and he was les
mis.hieyogs in s,nooi.
lie had never been known To u
rude or saaey fp bis teachers, and som
81 them. i4siIeviHg what they ba,
heard about him. accepted his good be
havior and unusual courtesy as evidences
Of the fact that be had not wit enough
10 be a. bad as some Of the seemingly
brighter boys.
They never saw beneath the surfac'
Of his nature. and, like some othei
boys. Hiram hid his strong points and
revealed the weak ones.
When school closed that spring. Hi
ram surprised Farmer Gerrish by de
handing wages for his work in tho flu
ture.
.'I'll be fifteen years old In month,
be said, ssand I'm too old 10 wark FOL
Just my keep, 'speshly when do the