Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-08-03

sure about her shoulders; Dut ,n.....
of time, she was accounting for gaps
in yesterdays attendance.
Patsy McGaw had been Obliged to
"mind his baby" Jimmy Fox pleaded
a ''sore t'roat;" Jimmy Nelson, shy OF
his audience, gave evasive answers.
Jimmy was dear little boy, but his
one-sided dimple wheeled him oil the
straight path so often that Miss Dixon
cross-questioned him searchingly.
"Oh!" 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 installing his face.
Jimmy was innocent for once, and
Miss Dixon flushed as quickly as he
had done.
Sim 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, and in the scramble
to save the register, Billy's 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 I'M
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 L went was
any excuse. She'd think it was worst
of all. Where did she say the next
lesson was? It's just as she said, 1
had an excellent reason, but if told
to get week ahead in my cipherin.
So Billy turned himself into null
tiplying machine with a Photographic
attachment, which ground out, at in
. tervals, est was an excellent reason"
Wednesday was "poetical extract"
day, and in the afternoon the children
hunted out note books to copy the
lines written upon the black board.
"To-day L have given You 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, cant"
s'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.
SIT 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 sc
much, Eddie, but You have 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 dixie" ant
other heroes.
SITS like that red book of yourn, al
full of golden Deeds" said Johnn.
Mack.
So in childish fashion they caugh
the thought of the lines, and whel
they were learned by heart the teache
told 'live" story of a brave messen
ger-boy, who had refused to give VI
an important key to burglars VIII
threatened to kill him.
""Thank you, thank you for tn
story!" and the children marched on
in charming frame of mine. To b
sure, there foated up from the yard
"when Duty whispers low, Thou must,
The youth replies, ca-a-nt,"
with an expostulating whine whic
every one recognized.
"They are such monkeys, wonde
If it is all lost on them" thought Mis-
Dixon, planning to-morrow's work.
Billy Riley had not gone out. Fl
now pulled his books all 90 O, hi
desk and piled them up aga.
''There wasn't anything'oat
ming away to circuses and tell,,,ah, I
he was saying to himsel,W So a,"f
how those stories max sss re
different side OF them. m ssSo< ~
do? She neve. 'onels aose Nn4
thinr to ANYBODY, br 1ep &c