The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-11
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 girle
in the town. Sometimes this popularity
is of such a nature that the person
manifesting it 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 seri-
Gus than his thinking and talking and
acting in an original sort of way.
The town of Wendom, in an Eastern
State. had within it's 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 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 to go to
school for a few months in the winter
season in return for such trifiing Serv
ices as feeding and milking six or eight
COWS, chopping and carrying in all the
wood used in the house, feeding forty or
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
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 I RELY
wonder that he's got any sense at all, :"
said old Grandmother Crewe, sympathiz
ingly. ellis pa was 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 ii killed his mother ten
days later, little Hiram began to be
tossed round from one family to another
in way that want likely to make him
like other boys, poor little feller!''
Unfailing cheerfulness was one OF
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.
''lle amt sense enough to reelize his
own Misty" was what some of the vii
layers said about Hiram's cheerfulness.
And indeed he had an odd way OF
laughing and joking about every thing
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. His coat was usually toe
large, his trousers too short, and some
times his boots were not mates: but he
would even turn this Notifying fact
into a joke.
eff a fellow can't have what he wants
it's good idea to be satisfied with what
he can get" was one of Hiram favorite
sayings.
He was boy of fourteen when he first
heard the words, ''town fool" applied
to him.
He had gone down to one of the vii
1age stores one evening to get pound
Of soda for Farmer Gerrish's wife, with
whom he was staying that winter.
The soda had been given him, and he
had started TO leave the store, but haC
stopped near the door to look at the
things in the showcase, when he heard
a stranger at the other end of the store
say in low tone to the village mer
chant:
well, it's pity that boy couldn'
add to the variety of his clothes. Does
the town hire him to wear out it's ole
buds, and who is he, anyhow"
80, him?' Hiram heard the village
merchant say, sneeringly. "He's sor
of a town fool; his names Curry-H
Curry; he works round for his keep.
guess he amt got any more sense thar
the law allows him"
Had any one met Hiram hurryine
home with bowed head, few moment.
later, he might not have greeted then
with his usual smile and CHEEKY words
for his face wore a fierce, determined
look, and his cheeks were wet will
something that was not melted flake.
of flying snow falling on his hot face.
/. The wind blew keenly through hi.
thin, ill-titting garments, but every drol
of blood in his body seemed boiling.
"Ill show EN- who's their town fool.
I'll shoe em." he said, again and again
"They shan't always call me their tow
fool, if ! do wear their old duds nov
and work for my keep. | earn all get
and they know it. I'll sh0,o 'em''
The next day at school he was tn,
same smiling, good-natured boy he haC
always been; but his lessons were un
usually well learned and he was les
mischievous in school.
He had never been known to b.
rude or saucy TO his teachers, and som,
OF them. believing what they haC
heard about him. accepted his good be-
haviOr and unusual courtesy as evidence
of the fact that he had not wit enough
to be as bad as some of the seemingly
brighter boys.
They never saw beneath the surface
of his nature. and, like some other
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 the flu
ture.
''I'll be fifteen years old in month,
he said, land I'm too old to work fol-
just my keep, 'speshly when l do the