The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-04
Biiy's Il iOmPrangs.


Billy Stapleton was undeniably queer
boy-the only queer boy i'm the class.
Miss Hollingsworth might teach as she
would. Billy never took her teaching as
the other boy took IL. They sat ana
listened respectfully and attentively as
well brought-up boys should; but Billy
just kept ore eye on her, and with the
other eye and all the rest of him seemed
to be thinking the lesson out TO him.
self
Tho other boys IT must be owned, reg
ularly forgot from Sunday 20 Sunday
what Miss Hollingsworth todd them, but
Billy--Billy remembered always: and al
ways he applied the lesson 10 his own
life in such "A way as suited himself.
Billy was not a well brought-up boy
How could he be when h. had no father,
no mother no brother. no sister. ana
depended mainly on the exeruons OF
Billy Stapleton for his livelihood? He
WAS thirteen. and the other boys ranged
in age as high as sixteen.
When he was nine years old he had
been left an orphan with a very sInaii
sum of money. the income OF which
barely paid his board and lodging at the
Widow Grimby's.
lie had been put TO board there by
the town. because widow Grimby needed
money that the county must otherwise
suDply His fare, then, was not sufnptu-
Gus and his coarse garments We're such
as he had been able to earn for himself
by doing little odd jobs before and after
school during the school year, and any
time of day i'm vacation. And while he
worked Billy practiced what he learned
from Miss HollngsWorth's teaching
The Sunday-school opened. Jherer SAT
Billy I'm his place. for Billy was never
late His straight, bristiy hair apparent
10 It's custom, II had arranged itself ana
was standing cheerfully on end all over
his head; his bright blue eyes spanked
and every freckle on his little nose look-
oil h.r al a
TO Miss HollingswOrth than Billy lie
always sat in the outermost chair In the
row: some way the outermost OF every
thing seemed TO be Billy's special pro-
vince.
What application will he make OF
this lesson" thought Miss Holdings
worth. She was a very good young Lazy,
but she did not understand boys, ana
particularly she did not understand Billy.
And yet all the boys liked her. and Billy
never dreamed that he was constant
puzzle to her.
That day she had hit upon particular
" happy Illustration OF a point IN tne
lesson. But il was not till the hour was
almost up that she began TO describe
to her boys the boomerang-that Wonuer-
full curved club which returns TO the
neighborhood of the sender and not only
to his neighborhood but sometimes upon
- ..,,s. she said. 81 want you to re-
member that every act OF your hVeS -
a boomerang. Every unkindness you 90
to another, every hateful word you SPEAK
to or of another. Will come back 10 IN
lure you. 1t may be a long time COM
ing but IL will come"
And then the lesson was done. ana
Miss Hollngsworth, flushing under the
fntentness OF Billy's eye, turned her
face toward the superintendent
Ii was a long walk from the chureh
to the widow Grimby's and Biily hau
plenty OF time 10 talk the lesson Over
...ft al
other queer trait he had-he talked 70
himself. But then he had hardly any
one else TO talk with; for the willow
Grlmby was unsocial and he had lie"
''TIl get me some OF them things, ,
he was saying. "BOomeranss she caIieo
'em. lust make 'em out OF deeds. bu s
III make the kind that hit SOFT anu
bali can do it. If what she SAID rs
so. Stands to reason II badness colneo
back 20 whack you. goodness must co''e
to hit you easy. ,, Ioa
in a direction opposite to Billys s. t ne
other boys were talking; and they WEI
saying that some day they were soino
TO travel TO that far country ana se'
those natives throw boomerangs. ,,a
The next morning was frosty Anu
Billy. after such breakfast as .ns
widow Grimby saw fit to furnish nilh,
was off betimes TO Squire haIei'
wood lot. for he had been engaged ~
the Squire to wheel his sawed ana spun
wood TO the shed. .,o,
Squire Hafferty was an old-fashio,hes :,
man, rather stiff and "rheumaticky ~
his joints He believed In having every
thing done just so; and that was why ne
had hobbled down to the wood lot. lie
wanted to start Billy just right. The little
round sticks were TO be piled by them
selves, the split sticks In another place,
and the chunks" in still another. But