The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-07-11
gnaersptt gateltigeater,
Old Tins Boys.

Years ago there was an old academy
with an older principal, and it was SC
full of young boys they were forever
bursting out Of doors, aying out Of the
windows, creeping cut Of the cellar
you almost expected them to bubble
out of the chimney Or to dangle from
eaves-troughs like vcritable Brownies,
When the old, lank principal in green
goggles first arrived, he was so solemn,
thin, and like picture in eomft
almanac, people said the boys would
use him up in about afortnight. The
last teacher had been big as a prize
fighter, had left lot Of rods OF assoft'
ed sizes, had whipped whole classes al
time, and then Eesigned. Old limo
thy Worthington Che really was D
D. put all the rods in the FIRE, tclo
the boys he had rheumatism So that il
hurt him to hold 4 book. The first
few days they nearly expired laughing
at him, Queer]y enough, the second
week they called him "Worthy Tim. y
They brought him (on the sly) rec
apples and flowers, as if he had beer
woman. They found out The ole
eyes behind the goggles twinkled al
their fun, grew soft when he patted
their heads (the littlest fellows), then
he talked to the big ones as If they
were men, and instead of taritentine
him they actually rah eYrands for him
mended HE desk: and fixed a screen
to keep draughts off his ridiculeasly
thin and rheumatic legs. They were
awfully afraid their ''folks' would
find that out. It seemed so "soft,
but really Tim was "brick." He
actually interested them in their les.
son !; and when that feat was accom-.
plished people said he was o success;
but they could hot understand it.
When the younger boys began to look
dull in the hot rooms and could not
study we'll, instead Of making them
stay after school, this queer old chap
used fright In school hours) to send
four or five out to race and frolic five
minutes. They would come in the in
slant his bony fingers tapped on the
pane, and would study like good fell
lows after it.
One night after school he had been
watching their fun from the window,
sliding down hill. When they came
in for their books, he said !: Every
boy that went down hill made it slip
perry for the next, and each one that
fell dragged another down, and that
one another. That time you all got
bruised at the bottom, Ned happened
to be last. He managed to stop half
way down and so escaped. Boys, it
makes mo think Of four of my old
sehool mates, jolly fellows. Jim
Welles was the jolliest, with brains
enough to have made him famous !;
Will Chester, nervous, sensitive, but
never wanting to be, left behind /;
George Edwards, good naturea blum
deiheels; and mel was lively Tim
in those days. Would you believe it ?
One term we all started down hill,
We were older than you, and it was a
longer hill, Jim went first and, oh,
he made it slippery enough for us
We had beer drinking little gambling
sprees, larks now and then with cham
pagne for supper. Will Chester could
not stand much. He got tipsy on a
wine-glassful, but he grew to love it
wine, then brandy. It made him
witty. George worshiped Will. He
could drink lot without showing it.
Boys, they had fun, oh, such fun for
several years lone making itslippery
for the next one--always together. I
was the youngest ind at the end.
One day I began to realize what was
at the bottom of the hill; and I just
managed-it was hard struggle-to
get on level ground again.
Old Tim took off his goggles, and
the boys saw tears in his mild gray
eyes.
81 am seventy years old. Ihave
had happy life, thank God; and ]
hope T have dragged nobody down hill.
But Jim, handsome, brilliant Jim,
was gutter drunkard, and died in a
hospital thirty years ago. Will Ches-
ter wrote book that made him
famous, then blew his brains out in
an attack Of delirium tremens. George
Edwards is bloated, beer-swilling
loafer; he never lets me have chance
to speak him, but sinks into saloon
when I appear. Boys, when you slide
down hill, slide down as you have to-
day in the sunshine, with clear heads
and sure chance Of no evil at the
bottom. Religious Herald.