The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-06-27

ObCJ eSA'O Oo Iva '~ef N-~f
u.s."
clear. hear" cried Bob. "You
ought to go in for public speaking.
Only couldn't you choose more novel
themes. All that you have been say
ing is a staple. l have been told it
ever since l was a Sunday-school in
FAINT in the primary department"
Lucia did not wholly relish this
brotherly cand r. There was a
pause, while she hunted in the buff
fet drawer for the butter knife. Bob
was captain of the baseball nine,
and now took the opportunity to in
troduce the topic near his heart.
Lucia frowned, but only the forks
and spoons saw her do it. She was
tempted to say something herself
about novel themes" but instead
entered into a discussion of "fouls"
and "hies" with a very successful
show Of enthusiasm.
The weeks and months passed, as
weeks and months will do. 1t was
nearly year since Bob had sat by
the dining room fire and talked with
Lucia. Today he was by his desk in
the big academy school-room, with
his eyes on his Roman history, and
his thoughts on history of a much
more modern date.
Things had not been going smooth
ly at the academy of late. The
school was divided into two hostile
factions, one of which comprised all
the teachers and few of the very
studious or very quiet scholars, and
the other the bulk of the boys. The
latter were pleased to consider them
selves much abused by set of regu-
lations which had been recently in
troduced, and they were bent ON
making trouble about it. Bobs class,
the most advanced OF the classes, was
to hold meeting right after school;
and everybody was waiting with
bated breath for the result.
"The professors are afraid of US"
Tom Fisher had said to Bob before
school. "They try to hold their
heads up and look courageous, but
inwardly they are quaking. They
know we can make things lively for
them; and we are going to do it, too.
This is not kindergarten. If they
want to try to make babies of us, we
must Just show them few things
that will, maybe, open their eyes,"
Bob had not made any definite re-
ply to all this, but none was needed.
"As for you, old man." Tom went
on to say, "now is your chance to
come to the fore. You are the cap
tain of the nine land pretty fine one,
too, if l do tell you to your face); and
you are supposed to have the best
right to show up this nonsensical
business, and get after the professors
about it, Give it to them straight
out from the shoulder, Bob, and good
luck to you"
AS Bob sat gazing at his book, de-
tached portions of Toms remarks
Aoated before his mind, mingling
themselves strangely with certain
others that had lain quiet in his men,
DRY for months.
You are the captain of the nine:
now is your chance to come to the
fore. Each of us has our place. It's
ours, our very own; and we ought to
prize it, and dc we'll by it. You have
the best right to show up this nom
sensical business. We can make our
parts a big, beautiful thing or a
small, poor thing; and all the world
can't stop u.s."
"Pshaw!" thought Bob, impatiently.
"Imagine me posing as champion of
the good, the beautiful, and the true!
l do happen to have some pull with
the fellows for my ball record. But,
if l undertook to set my self against
the spirit of the school now, should
simply get laughed at for fool"
"And all the world" repeated the
inner voice, monotonously, cant
stop us, no matter what it gives us
nor what it takes from us"
The class meeting was very
crowded and excited one. A great
deal of inhammatory eloquence had
expe nded itself before Bob got slowly
to his feet
81 am afraid, fellows, my speech is
not going to be very popular; but |
am bound to say that | believe we
have got this thing by the wrong nd.
We all know that the teachers have
stood by us handsomely lots of times
since we came to the academy, and
we ought to stand by them now. A
good many of you have said that we
are not babies any longer. l don't
know whether we are or not. | think