Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-05-29

Some of them are bright fellows, quick
to learn and slow to forget, and some
acquire knowledge by the sweat of
their brow. In short, they are an
everyday lot, with everyday virtues
and failiEgs, aud the especially com
monplace habit of fads. Generally
the fad of the moment is harmless
enough, but sometimes it goes too far.
There is still fresh in the memory of
the school, for instance, the case OF
Bob Jennings, who suffered sadly be-
cause, once upon time, he failed to
be in the fashion.
A few pudgy boxing gloves were at
the bottom of it ALL Rufe Henry's
brother at college sent him set, and
after "Top" Browns father had added
another, thu Blyville stock grew
rapidly. Boxing soon became the
''rage" at the academy. One of the
teachers, young, active and athletic,
volunteered to give the boys lessons.
"Sound mind, sound body" said he,
and took the youngsters in hand one
after another.
Sofar it was all very well, but the fad
went farther. There was boxing in
plenty with no instructors eye upon the
proceedings; nextit came to be the most
natural thing in the world for little
grievance to be settled by bout; and
after time there were encounters
where the grievance, if any there were,
was of the tlimsiest nature that school
/ boys could devise.
] A,,l +lnn ,ho,, 10 &C
honor" was in q fair way of develop
ment, Bob Jennings refused point
blank to face Tad Reynolds.
Older heads might have found ex-
cuses. Bob had been ailing bit;
that luckless day he had headache to
make him spiritess aud miserable. SO
he walked away "slumped, the
others declared-and thereupon the
school blithely sent him to Coventry.
The next day was Saturday, and the
skating was good. On the bank of the
mill-pond the academy lads chose sides
for game of hockey. Boy after boy
was called and took his place in one of
the two groups, until Bob was left
standing alone.
you'll have 10 take Jennings" said
one leader to the other.
"No, street. was the quick response.
"We'll play one short"
Bob did not tarry to watch the game
/, He threw his skates over his shoulder
and walked up the hill. Coward or
no coward, there would have been v1o-
lence had anybody told him that he
was crying cts the wind" he said
s to himself half a dozen times. Near
$ the summit he left the path and crossed
a a field to avoid party of girls who
were hurrying toward the pond, chat
teriug and laughing so gaily that by
comparison his dependency seemed
deeper than ever.
n Near his own house Bob met
). neighbor, an elderly man, who gavt
n him nod, and then called after him
g 'What's the matter? Skating bad?'
+. "No, Mr.. Peck, it's all right" sait
n the boy, stopping reluctantly. CT
a I-well, I didn't care for it to-day"
i Something better to do, eh?"
y "No, I've nothing to do"
n Mr.. Peck had known many boys
r but one who would not skate when h
|. could was novelty, With rheu
matte limp he moved to his youn
Ia neighbor, looked him over an
h whistled.
l. "Maybe you'd like q kind of chor
ir job, he said. ''Look here, Bob, "
!. promised to take the family over at ia
r East Village q couple of quarts of mil
a a day; and really, I'm not fit to do il
This weather-it gets mel I'm not s
Il young as l was, by any manner {
n means. II you'll take the contract O
"a my hands, I'll furnish the milk an
" give you half the money. What d
you say to that?"
"Ihl do it, Mr.. Peck" said the boy
@. quickly. "I'll do it, and be glad {
n the chance"
r. The East Village consisted CT thrc
small houses, only one of which WI
habitable. Some years previously
speculator had attempted ''boom" {
the strength of a new railroad. Son
10 cottages We're lun up, many big sigl
1f painted; and the railroad went by ii
n new vilage-at the bottom of fift
y foot cutting. Whereupon the proie
= languished. One or two houses we
1t moved away, another was burned,
e. few others fell down. For months n
body had lived there, until q fami
-. coming to the town rented the best
~ -, the ruins.
: Nobody in the town seemed to knc
H. anything of the newcomers. Even NJ
u Peck could only say that they Ike
within doors, and that his bargain hi
~ been made with little girl, acting
ny envoy from her mother.
'ir BY road-or rather by the aba