Sharp County record., 1896-04-24
= Some Heroic Boys.


Some Heroic Boys.
In nv growin up and bruisin round l
have seen mary and many cotton
headed, gander-legged, hatchet-faceted
yearlin boy that was every inch hero
hold to the doctrine that boy
which will git up with the sun on raw
frosty mornin, when the weather is cold
enough to freeze the tail off of a brass
monkey, and chop the wood and fetch
in the water, and tote out the slops and
feed the stock, and drive up the COWS
and rope off the calves, and never COM
plain or get out Of sorts-that boy is a
hero.
And I likewise also think that boy
, which can pull the bell cord over a
blamed old lazy mule, on a long, hot
summer day in new ground full Of
stumps, and still use nothin but Bible
/ language-by gatlins know that boy Is
a hero
Oncst upon time I saw boy hero
in school, and remember the general
circumference of the surroundins as
bright and clear as if it was yesterday.
1t was whilst Miss Susy Tolliver was
teachin Of the school over at the Cross
Roads. One mornin youngster, with
red hair and freckly face, come in
from somewheres back in the hill coun-
try. He give in his name Johnny Led
better and said he was nine years old
past ten next grass. There was more
pure, honest devilment in that boys
face than have ever saw done up into
one little package. We boys called him
"Speck" for short and OWN to the sun
dry different shades and colors Of his
countenance.
Well, Speck he had plenty of sense,
but 1t didn't run very much to books
Miss Susy didn't give out any lessons to
him on the first day. She slipped the
bride, as 1T were and let him have the
run Of the grounds till he could wear the
u0W Ous ouO Uuc uSAU lnOLulH oLo uduo
him trot out his blue back speller and
come down to his knittin reglar. He
had to start in with his A. B. C's, and
when be went forth to say his first les
son every eye in school was turned on
Speck. But he stood the fire like q man,
and never flickered nor floundered, nor
Ainched. He come through smooth and
easy on the first letter, but struck a
snag on the second.
What makes the honey that you
eat?" says Miss Susy.
3D." says Speck, quick as lghtnin.
That's right" says Miss Susy.
What do you do with your eyes9"
says Miss Susy when Speck struck the
nextsnag
20" says Specls, with a loud voice and
aproud smile
Correct, my little man. You'll be q
scholar by-and-by," says Miss Susy.
Well, they went on at that lick till
finally at last they got down to G, and
Speck he backed into another snag.
''When your father starts to plow,
and wants his horse to go to the right,
what does he say?" ask Miss Susy.
He don't plow no horse" says Speck
"he plows steer.
Well, when he wants the steer to go
to the right what does he say?" says
Miss Susy
And then Speck he stepped back and
spraddled his legs and drawed his face
up till " looked like a pine knot on
fire, and sung out at the top of his voice,
"G-e-e t-h-e-r-o you dadbunod old
wabbledy-leggcd, slab.sidcd, raaor.back
son-of-a-gun"
Man Sir, tho school then broke loose
with the most terriblest confLsement
you ever road about, and | thought in
my soul Miss Susy would faint and fall
over In IT. But Speok had answered tho
question and went through with all tho
motions besides, and you couldn't blame
him for that 1t took nerve to do IL,
but Speok was hero, and in tho run Of
time ho burned out to be tho brightest
scholar In that school,