The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-11-17
The HEART OF A BOY.
Il Was Bravo Ono But Could
Not Stand tho Strain.


However earnestly one may try, IL /
does not seem possible really 10 reach I,
the heart Of boy"
HIS maidcn sister, Miss Simplex.
smiled. half scornfully, from behind
tho coffee urn.
81 arm not certain" she said severe
~. "that am prepared 20 believe IN
the existence Of such thing as a boys
heart ] dare say the little animals
have some sort OF n muscular organ
that pumps blood through their bodies
know TINT they have stomachs, and
Jared certainly has brains, such as
they are, but nm pretty sure boys do
not possess hearts in any spiritual
sense Of that word.
Miss Simplex was collecting the
glass and china, which always received
her personal attention, mcditating
meantime IN no hopeful frame OF mind
on the probable future of her young
nephew, who had been her particular
charge and trial ever since the time,
eight years before, when his pretty,
delicate young mother had gathered
the three-year-old toddler TO her heart,
and charged him with her dying breath
TO be a good boy and do as Aunt Sarah
badc him.
just now Jared was home from school
in hopeless disgrace. 1T seems inn
possible 10 mako any impression upon
him, the principal wrote, and perhaps
il will be as well To leave him TO his
own desires for awhile
Ills particular offenso this time had
been emitting up the leather covers OF
his grammar and making therefrom an
elaborate penwiper holder, soaking
and enclosing the leather very clever
ly with the aid OF his penlSnife and a
key. When punished he had taken the
chastiscmcnt sullenly, and wholly re-
fused Go admit that he was sorry for
his wantOn destruction OF the book
"Thc insidc's just as good, he said,
Fan don't want the old thing, any
vav." This was but one of Jared's
MANY oHerses. "IIc had no sense of
order or niccncss of arrangements"
Miss SnmpleX said He would destroy
ANYTHING for the sake Of making some
1 prepostcrous, ugly thing thereof.
Int the most rcpulsive feature OF
Jarcd's character, as Miss Simplex de-
clarcd as his anxious father noted
and Che principal regretted was that
I hc seemed incapable OF loving anyone.
silent almost morosc, he seemed en-
\ tirelv 70 lacl, the usual impulse OF
+ childhood 10 please. "He seems To
care more for n common dog than FOR
+ his own kind. was one OF his mnts
worried indictments against him, and,
/ fearful lest so unnatural n tendency
/ should be fostcred. his father had re
CURED Jared TO part with the broken
/ tailed mongrcl cur that for nearly n
I year had been his most constant com.
/ panion, wandering with him in his
! long. solitary wood tramps, and lying
beside him for hours on the hillsides
in the sun. where lie loved TO spend his
time, dreaming the long, long thoughts
Of youth
Poor little Jaredl lie had an un
happy time AZ the morning meal, un
tii at last, overcome with the sense oi
disapproval with which. the tive
''grownups' regarded him, he had
flown from the room, selling his
hat as lac ran. and rushed for refuge
TO favoritc haunt OF his beside a little
stream MP in tho hills
There Is no more pitiful sight In this
whole pitiful universe than boy IN
trouble. Your little girl thanks e
mammals careful training, auntie's de
votion and grandma'sloving oversight
rarely hasa chance 60 get into trouble
Her little life is carefully mapped out
her little footsteps scdulously guide'
into easy. correct and conventions
ways, and she grows mp into a nice lit
tie parrot or a clever correctly
arranged. finished article. while he
brother Is being knocked about In
complcXlty Of circumstances, getting
licked into shape by the efficient an'
ready tongue Of Life as lie Finds IL
Bat the licking process is hard, an'
The boy suffers under IL. Who can tel
the tormcutinu thoughts teeming I'm
der the shoclSy hai-thc doubts an,
wonderments of tho bcwildcred DO.
soul. and the wild rebellion Of tn
tough little heart under the shabb.
iaclSet2 lie fights his mental and spin
itual battles alone for the most part
for few understand the little animal
. they're only boys, you know, and d
. not need the fostering care the littl
girls must have Only the mother usu
ally gets down Co the little, warm, low
/ ing. ycarning, wondering heart, an
She often, all too soon, let's il 60 on
J alone t. seek and slay its giants or b
slain by them.
Down IA the damp grass, under
, taurlr 81 swamp willow, Jared lay an
!, thought Was IL really true that h
was b hardened sinner, as Aupt Sara
: said2 lie sure he loved the Go
/. who had madc the blue sky and th
y groom earth; az all events he loved th
earth and tho sky What had he don
=. that he should repent Of and call hin
/, self lost? lie had knocked Tomm
Gray down last term for calling him
il liar. whom he had only told him tn
y truth about his having seen rattl,
= snake change his skin, but he had tol
\ Tommy he was sorry, and had eve