The Van Buren press., 1896-01-11
some Heroic Boys.

fdcy u nOltSJ nedftS anu Udfu hHu0hios.
Some Heroic Boys.
In my CROWN up and bruisin round l
have seen many 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
hero.
And likewise also think that boy
which can pull the bell cord over
blamed old lazy mule, on long, hot
summer day in new ground full OF
stumps, apd still use nothin but Bible
ianguage-by gatlins know that boy is
a hero.
Oncst upon time saw a boy hero
In school, and remember the general
circumference of the surroundins as
bright and clear as II 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
.sSpeck' for short and OWN to the sum
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 it were, and let him have the
run of the grounds till he could wear the
new off. But the next mornin she made
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 he went forth to say his first les
son every eye in school was turned on
Speck. But he stood the fire like man,
and never fickered nor floundered, nor
finched. He come through smooth and
easy on the first letter, but struck a
spag on the second.
"What makes the honey that you
eat?" says Miss Susy.
''B," says Speck, quick as lightnin.
"That's right" says Miss Susy.
"What do you do with your eyes?"
says Miss.Susy when Speck struck the
extsnag.
&C." says Speck, with a loud voice and
proud smile.
Correct my little man. You'll be a
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 Spech
''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 it looked like a pine knot on
fire, and sung out at the top of his voice:
'G-e-e t-h-e-r-ei you dadburned old
wabbledy-legged, slab-sided, razor-back
son-of-a-gun.
Man sir, the school then broke loose
with the most terriblest confasement
you ever read about, and thought in
my soul Miss Susy would faint and fall
over in it. But Speck had answered the
question and went through with all the
motions besides, and you couldn't blame
him for that. 1t took nerve to do 1t,
but Speck was hero, and in the run of
time he turned cut TO be the brightest
scholar in that school.