Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-02-04
FIGHT WITH GRADUATION

Slow at his books Tom Gordon
certainly was; yet he had a good
mind. 1t took him a long time TO
learn lesson, but when he had once
learned it, he never had to look at
it again. In athletic sports, too,
he was not brilliant. but he could
be relied upon. He was like a stone
wall at-iirst base, though he was not
so successful as batter. In foot
ball he was not aggressive enough
to suit his school-fellows; but he
was fearless, and he could carry an
indefinite numher.of bis opponsnts
on bis back. In The tug 81 var he
was unconquerable.
There was a story that, when Mr.
Browns school, with Tom for an
Choir, pulled the Normal Stars,
Toms three rope men, after having,
with Toms assistance, secured an
extra foot or two, went Off and got
drink Of soda water, leaving Tom
to mind the rope alone. Tom al
ways denied the story, and | must
confess that it sounds unlikely. |
think the probability is if they went
away at all, they went away one at
a time.
That day Tom pulled anchor, but
generally he pulled the rope. He
was Captain, of course; and his
laundering "Ready!-Heave" was
enough of itself to take away the
strength of the other side. 1t was
great disappointment to Tom
when Mr.. Brown forbade the tug of
war, on the ground that it injured
the boys.
Il suppose it is bad for you,' Tom
was heard to say; but boy ought
to learn how to keep his back
straight and put his strength to a
thing. He may have to lift some
thing heavy some day.
For the rest, Tom was tender
hearted fellow, who could not bear
to hurt any one. When he was a
little boy in the sixth class one of
his classmates, installing gentleness
for cowardice, forced Tom into a
fight. Tom hit out so quickly that
one knock settled the other fellow,
and then he fell to crying because
the blood came out of the little ras-
calls nose.
One evening after supper Tom
took the electric cars and went In
town on an errand for his father.
His business accomplished, he set
out to walk home; for, although a
1 few flakes of snow had fallen, the
night was fine, and he wanted to
get some good fresh air into his
lungs before sitting down to spend
an evening with Cicero.
He had reached deserted part
of the street and was walking up q
long hill not far from home when
he saw coming toward him a heavy
two-wheeled coal cart drawn by one
horse. The wheels were on the cal
tracks: the drivers head had fallen
over on his shoulder and he was
fast asleep. Meanwhile the brave
old horse plodded on with the con.
tentment of a veteran in the Goa
business who has left his load Of
coal. whose driver is asleep, and
who is going down hill on his way
home.
From ont of sight far along the
street came the singing OF the wire;
which means that an electric car j:
approaching. A moment later the
car, coming on like mad, hove in
sight some distance behind the Goa
cart. As it reached the summit o.
the hill aud began the descent til
speed did not abate.
Nearer and nearer it came. but
( the motorman did not seem to have
any fear of running into the Goa
oart-he even turned round and
said something to the conductor
who was standing behind him. Their
he turned back again, but he turned
too late. He was nearer than h
thought. He damned on the brak
and reversed the power just as tn
old horse turned aside to draw tn
cart ont of danger, but the track
were covered with a little layer o
snow. and the car W heels slid owe
them like the runners of sleigh
The whole weight of the car strucl
the corner of the coal cart AID fun
it from the tracks. The WACO