The Opelousas courier., 1895-08-24
the Board told him he could 60 ahead

the Board told him he could 20 ahead
and have his soy.
1t was years and years ago when I
hrst scraped up acquaintance with the
staggerses, you understand, but |
know tho stock they come from, and 1
know the mettle and the breedin of the
stock. So when Luke united them long
legs Of his that day. and stood up there
amongst the boys his face was as white
as a sheet, but there was thunder in
his voice and lightnin Ia his eye, and I
knowed good and we'll that a storm
| was risin and somethin was bound to
drap.
mister President and gentlemen of
the Board" says Luke slow and easy
like at first but warmin up as he went
on, wrong is always wrong and right
Is forever right. 1t amt none OF my
business to whitewash Billy George
Randie. l am sorry and he is sorry
and we are all sorry that he let his foot
Slip and fell. 1t was wrong body
knows it was wrong-and we don't ev-
en- try to make out like 1t was sight.
But to a man up a tree it don't look
right for the Professor TO haul that boy
up here before the board and be.
fore the whole entire school and
raise this mighty rumpus on &C
count Of one little %slippance. 1 want
ever in the crowd ( hat Saturday night.
not because l am sproutin any wings to
speak of, but because l didn't git the
news in time. don't drink whisky for
common and neither does Billy George,
and it lnouRht of been mo as well as
him. l would love to ask the Professor
if he eve was a boy nest upon a time,
and then 1 would love for him to stand
up and tell you if he has always walked
upright and perfect in the ten com
mandments."
The Professor didn't stand up, which
I reckon it must of been a good time OF
year for him to keep his seat and say
nothin, whilst Luke went on:
whats the use of this great public
stir and confusionment except to give
Billy George the heartache as well as
the headache? It don't help the Pro-
fessor and it don't help the school. but
it makes that poor boy fell like he
would love to swap himself off for a
yaller dog and then shoot the dog. I
am not tryin to make wrong look right,
but the most brighestest boy in this
school is Billy George Randle, and in
spite of the past, and with all of his
faults, he is brave and white and true.
If a man was to fall overheard out in
the ocean would the old ship throw
him q rope, or would she sail on and
leave him there to drown? God AL
mighty has put into Billy George Ran
die plenty of materials for the maxim
of a man. This school needs him,
Rocky Creek needs him, and the world
will need him in her business. You
can make a mountain out of the mole
hill and crush him, if you. will. You
can heap Goals of fire on his head and
send him forth to face q storm of pub
lie disgrace. You can do that If you
want to. Maybe that mought please
the Professor. But for the comm man.
hood of Rocky Creek, I stand here fat
footed and erect and tell you, face to
face, when you do that these boys will
follow me, and by the livin and dead
we will ohome, and you can take your
measly old schoolhouse and go to the
orful torments with it."
By this time, you understand, Luke
Staggers had put the pot to bilin, and
The general excitement was 50 thick in
the air till a little more and you could
of hit it with a stick. One member of
the Board, Deacon Joiner, sided with
the Professor, but the Board stood four
to for keepin Billy George in school
where he belonged. Whereas the Pro-
got his back up and quit and the
Deacon pulled out from the hoard and
went off home in a high huff. Where
as the whole entire school had to bust
up and take out and quit for the sum.
mer.
We will now consequentially have to
hire a new Professor 20 open up the
next fall. But in the main
time, you understand, Rocky Creek is
standin by her boys. It was wrong-it
was mighty wrong-for the boys to go
out that Saturday night and back them
selves into a wildcat still. But at the
same time we can't make angels out OF
healthy boys. and the world is lookin
to Billy George Randle for the maxim
a man b~y-and-by.