Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1894-12-20

s"O unu llstened respectfully and at
'ehtively as we'l-brought-up boys
should; but Billy just kept one eye on
her, and with tine other eye all the
rest OF him seemed TO be thinking the
lesson out to himself.
The other boys, 1t must be owned,
regularly forgot from Sunday to
sunday what Miss Hollingsworth
told them, but Billy. Billy remem-
bered always; and always he applied
the lesson to his own life in such
way as suited,himself.
Billy was not a we'll brought-up boy.
low could he be when he had no ia
Their, no mother, no brother, no sister,
and depended mainly upon the exer-
lions Of Billy Stapleton for his liveli-
mood. lie 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 small
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 supply. His fare, then, was
not sumptuous, and his coarse gar
ments were 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
in vacation. And while he worked
Billy practieed what he learned from
Miss Hollingsworth's teaching.
The Sunday school opened. There
sat Billy in his place, for Billy was
never late. His straight, bristly hair
apparently gave him no trouble, for,
according to its custom, it had ar.
ranged itself and was standing cheer
fully on end all over his head; his
bright blue eyes sparkled and every
freckle on his little nose looked alert.
The other boys all sat nearer to Miss
Hollingsworth than Billy. He always
sat In the outermost chair in the row;
some way the outermost of everything
seemed to be Billy's special province
what application will he make of
this lesson?" thought Miss Holdings
worth. She was a very good young
lady, but she did not understand boys,
and particularly she did not under
stand 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 partic-
ularly happy illustration of point in
the lesson. But it was not till the hour
was almost up that she began to de-
scribe to her boys the boomerang
that wonderful curved club which re-
turns to the neighborhood of the SEN
der. and not only to his neighborhood
but sometimes upon his head.
Boys" she said, II want you to re-
member that every act Of your lives is
boomerang Every unkindness you
do to another, every hateful word you
speak to or of another, will come back
to injure you. 1t may be long time
coming; but it will come"
And then the lesson was done, and
Miss Hollingsworth, flushing under
the intentness of Billy's eye. turned
her face toward the superintendent.
1t was long walk from the church
to Widow Grimby's, and Billy had
plenty of time to talk the lesson over
with himself on the way. This was
another queer trait he had-he talked
to himself. But then he had hardly
anyone else to talk with; for Widow
Grimby was unsocal and he had few
acquaintances'
'I'll get me some of them things"
he was saying, "Boomerangs she
called 'em. Just make 'em out of
deeds. But I'll make the kind that
hit soft and easy and not whack like
an ice SNOWFALL, ! can do it, If what
she said is So Stands to reason if bad
ness comes back to whack you, good
ness must come to hit you easy"
On their way home, and their way
led in direction opposite to Billy's,
the other boys were talking; and they
were saying that some day they were
going to travel to that far country and
see those natives throw boomerangs.
The next morning was frosty. And
Billy, after such breakfast as
Widow Grimby saw fit to furnish him
was off betimes to Squire Hafferty's
wood lot, for he had been engaged by
the SQUIRE to wheel his sawed and
split wood to the shed.
SQUIRE Rafferty, was an old-fashioned
man, rather stiff and ''rheumaticky'
in his Joints. He. believed in having
everything done just so; and that was
wbv he had hobbled down to the wooc
lot He wanted to start Billy just
right. The little round sticks were to
be piled by themselves, the split sticks
in another place, and the chunks" IL
still another But starting in hurry
for Billy had been unexpectedly
nrompt. he had come without hi
glasses He felt in all his pockets, fol
he needed them. He wanted to take
good look at Billy, who was almost
stranger to him.
"Here's the chance to make me one
of them boomerangs and let it n.y.
th5Nght Billy, as the slow old fee
mad to retrace their steps.
cLet me run, sirl" he exclaimed
e Obi have 'em here in a jiffy."
fPaq,he squire let him run. When
Vet a rood look at him l shouldn't b.
Surprised if see likely lad" was hi
rrateful thought; but his tongue sal.
nothing beyond a ceremonious "Mucl
obleeged to YOU" on the boys return
There's one of 'em done Already,
Nurht Billy, little out OF breatl
;nshaste. Makes me feel good :
R. its coming back TO bit me ca