The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-08-03

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three deep. She
enjoyed this morning sociable, with
bright faces peering between the mugs
OF lilacs, and the light, swaying pres
sure about her shoulders; but thrifty
of time, she was accounting for gaps
in yesterdays attendance.
Patsy McGaw had been obliged to
"mind his baby" Jimmy Fox pleaded
"sore t'roat;" Jimmy Nelson, shy of
his audience, gave evasiye answers.
Jimmy was a dear little boy, but his
one-sided dimple wheeled him off the
straight path so often that Miss Dixon
cross-questioned him searchingly.
"Ohr he cried at last, his face
flushing "No'm, didn't run away
from school, if that's what you're
drivin' at.
There was no mistaking his face.
Jimmy was innocent for once, aud
Miss Dixon flushed as quickly as he
had done.
I'm sure you didn't, Jimmy. Billy
Riley, l suppose you have some ex-
cellent reason for your absence?"
"Er-r-r-" stammered Billy, trying
to wind himself up to the point of
speech. Here Dinny Phalen upset
one mug of lilacs, aud in the scramble
to save the register, Billys attempt at
speech was lost.
"Did have an excellent reason. I'd
told her if she'd waited" muttered
Billy, going to his seat.
Billy was cross that morning. He
rubbed out his drawing so furiously as
to make hole in the paper. In mar
bles he broke the rules of the game
and quarrelled with the other boys un-
til they put him out of the ring. They
resented the more this fit of lawless-
ness and ill-temper from good-natured
Billy.
"Didn't tell no lie She never asst
me. She just supposed" he was say
ing while Miss Dixon explained the
lesson.
''She never thought I'd run away.
She wouldn't think where went was
any excuse. She'd think it was worst
of all. Where did she sa- the next
lesson was? It's just as she said, I
had au excellent reason, but il l told
her she wouldn't think so. I'm goin'
to get week ahead in my cipherin'."
SO Billy turned himself into a null
tiplying machine with Photographic
attachment, which ground out, at in
tervals, "It was an excellent reason. !"
Wednesday was "poetical extract"
day, and in the afternoon the children
hunted out notebooks to copy the
lines written upon the black board.
To-day / have given you q grown
up selection, said Miss Dixon, and
the teacher read -four lines from EN-
erson, ending:
"When Duty whispers low, Thou must,
The youth replies, l can"
"Now tell me what you make of it.
Eddie, what does it mean?" she said.
Eddie scowled near-sightedly and
twisted one supple leg about the other.
"It MEANS" he said, slowly, "like
when your mother wants you to wash
your hands when they aren't dirty,
but you do it,"
The children took Eddie's interpre-
tation sympathetically, and the teacher,
too much in earnest to smile, replied,
I'm sorry you mind washing so
much, Eddie, but you haze part of the
idea"
The lines reminded the other chill
dren Of "the soldier who went to the
war;" of "the boy stood on the burn
ing deck-what was his other name?'
of 'the Dutch boy at the dike," and
other heroes.
''It's like that red book of yourn, all
full of golden Deeds" said Johnny
Mack.
So in childish fashion they caught
the thought of the lines, and when
they were learned by heart the teacher
told olive" story Of brave messen-
ger-boy, who had refused to give up
an important key to burglars who
threatened to kill him.
"Thank you, thank you for the
story!" and the children marched out
in q charming frame of mine. To he
sure, there floated up from the yard:
when Duty whispers low, Thou must,
The youth replies, L ca-a-n't,"
with an expostulating whine which
every one recognized.
'They are such monkeys, I wonder
if it is all lost on them, thought Miss
Dixon, planning to-morrow's work.
Billy Riley had not gone out. He
now pulled his books all out on his
desk and piled them up again.
''There wasn't anything about run
ming away to circuses and not tellin', "
he was saying to himself, "but some
how those stories make things look
different side of them. What will she
do? She never done much of any
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