The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-02-22

NJ v
took her teach
ing as the other boys took it. They
sat and listened respectfully and at
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. II 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 a
way us suited himself.
Billy was not well-brought.upb boy.
{ How could he be when he had no ia
ther, no mother, no brother. no sister,
and depended mainly upon the exer-
tons of Billy Stapleton for his liveli-
hood. lie was thirteen, and the other
boys ranged in age US 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 ut
the Widow Grimby's.
~ hsaA AGGh put w updE1l Uy
the town. because Widow Grimby
needed money that the county must
otherwise supply. His fare, then, was
not sumptuors, and his coarse .ies.
meuts were such as lie had bees u 5.
ro''sarn 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 practiced 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 gays him no trouble, for,
Eccording to its custom, 1t had, ar.
ranged itself and was standing cheer
fully on end all over his head; his
bright blue eyes sparlSled and every
freckle on his little nose looked alert.
The other boys all sat nearer to Miss
Hollingsworth than Billy. lie always
lsat in the outcrmost 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 llollings.
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 n constant puzzle to her
That day she had hit upon a partic-
ularly happy illustration OF point in
the lesson. hut il was not till the hour
was almost M 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.
I Boys" She said, II want YOU to re.
member that every act of your lives is
a boomerang. Every unlsindness you
do to another, every hateful word you
speak to or of another will come hacl;
10 injure you. IL may lie a long time
coming: but it will come
And then the lesson was done, and
Miss Hollingsworth. flushing under
the intensness of Billy's eye, turned
tfer face toward the superintendent
1t was long walk from the church
to Widow Grimby's, and Billy hud
plenty of time TO talk the lesson over
with himself ON the way. This was
another queer trait he had-.hc talked
to himself. But then he had hardly
anyone else To talk with; for Widow
Grimby was unsocial and lie had few
acquaintance.
"l'll get me some of them things"
he was saying, ''fioomerangs she
called EN-. Just make EN- out Of
deeds. liut III make the kind that
hit soft and easy and not whack like
an ice SNOWFALL. | can do it, il what
she said is 80. Stands 10 reason il bud
ness comes back to whark You. good.
ness must come to hit ynu easy
On their way home. aud their WAY
led in Il direction opposite Ia l:illy'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 bnomerang>.
The next morning was frosty. And
Billy. after such breakfast as
Widow Grilnby saw NJ To furnish him.
was OFT betimeS to Squire Hafferty's
wood lot for he had heeu engaged liz
the squire 10 wheel his sawed ana
split wood TO the she'd
Squire Rafferty, WAS an old fashioned
man, rather stiff and ''rl.ennatirky''
in his joints. lie believed in having
everything done just 50; and that was
why he had hobbled down to the wood
lot He wanted to start Billy Just
right. The little round sticks were 10
be piled by themselves, the split sticks
in another place, and the chunks" in
still another. But starting in n hurry,
for billy had been unexpectedly
prompt he had come without his
glasses. lie felt in all his pockets. for
he needed them. lie wanted To take n
good look at Billy who was almost a
stranger TO him.
Here's the chance to make me ,one
of them boomerangs and let ii hy,p
thought Billy, as the slow old feet
turned to retraee their steps. -