Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-04-25

-tentively as well-brought-up boys
should; but Billy just kept one eye on
her, and with the other eye all the
rest of him seemed to be thinking the
lesson out to himself.
The other boys, it 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 well-brought-up boy.
How could he be when he had no ia
ther, no mother, no brother, no sister,
and depended mainly upon the exer-
tions of Billy Stapleton for his liveli-
hood. 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 very small
sum of money, the income of which
barely paid his board and lodging at
the Widow Grimby's.
He 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
mcnts 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 practired what he learned from
Miss liollingsworth'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 it's custom, it had ar
ranged itself and was standing cheer
fully on end all over his head; his
bright blue eyes sparlsled and every
freclsle on his little nose looked alert
The other boys all sat nearer to Miss
Ilollingsworth than Billy. He always
sat in the outermost chair in the row;
some way the outermost of everything
seemed to be Bllly's special province
what application will he make of
this lesson?" thought Miss Hollings-
worth. She was n very good young
lady, but she did not understand boys,
and particularly she did not under
stand Billy. And yet all the boys
ibheu buo hCNcT uTtumcQ
that he was constant puzzle to her
That day she had hit upon a 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 neigh borhood of the SEN
der, ani 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 unltindness you
do to another, every hateful word you
speak to or of another, will come back
to injure you. 1t may be n 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 unsocial and he had few
nequaintances.
''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 whacls like
an ice SNOWFALL. can do it, II 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 o breakfast as
Widow Grimby saw fit to furnish him,
was off betimes to Squire Hatferty's
wood lot, for he had been engaged by
the squire to wheel his sawed and
split wood to the shed.
Squire Hafferty was an old-fashioned
man, rather stiff and ''rheumaticky"
in his joints He believed in having
everything done just SO; and that was
why he had hobbled down to the wood
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" in
still another. But starting in hurry,
for Billy had been unexpectedly
prompt he had come without his
glasses. He felt in all his pockets, for
he needed them. He wanted to take a
good look at Billy, who was almost a
stranger to him.
Here's the chance to make me one
of them boomerangs and let it fly"
thought Billy, as the slow old feet
turned to retrace their steps.
LET me run, sirl" he exclaimed;
"I'll have 'em here In jiffy."
The squire let him run. when |
get good look ut him shouldn't be
surprised II see likely lad" WAS his
grateful thought; but his tongue said
nothing beyond ceremonious Much
obleeged to you," on the boys return.
There's one of 'em done a'rea,ly,"
4, AL - l.