The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-06-16
THE ELISAND INTELLILEN(ER.
BEL AIR MD. JUNE 16. 1899.
FLAX PIpPiN'S QUEER SCHOOL,.
BY MABEL CLIFFORD.

dear, good old lady, who was no rela-
ton to him, and very poor, had taken
care of him since he was left alone in
the world.
one da2 man called at grandma &
| door, aud asked for Il gla : of water.
| He sat down i'll the doorway, and talk
ed so kindly to grandma that she told
| him al. thout her boy. Hes little
snipe of a fellow, said grandma, "tuW-
hea 'et. aud NOT much to look at.
| He'll ant br much good at working for
| his living. am afraid. Tie boys call
him Pip, expect because he has such
a piping little voice. But, small ~ he
| il, and little as he eats, | can't keep
him any longer. l must put him to
work some where, aud that is what
puzzles ne. He is not strong enough
for farm w,rk, and that is alI there is
:-ere. He's only fourteen come Michael
mas; he ought to have more schooling,
bnt | have done the best | can by
| him.
~ WONDER" said the man, leaning
on his gun, "if Pip is the boy took
nsa s,v>,.'.. =.
! nj ~. = cy>.t ar:n3ms with u
! ism. ~. ~ sns ~">tif,i rex II he
| arm-ct.srlr ..-...n ,0r she saw tie man
was smiling. Like as not" assented
grandma, "hc lives in the trees. He's
us much AT .uue there as the chip
! uuuk. bus * isn't quite equal - the
| birds: h" ina II I grown any wigs Yet. -
| Good IL, the average. | suppose,
said the man.
| "Ordinary," answered grandma
| "Well.n rather more than ordinary:
| he's not particularly obedieui, but lie
| never gives me an impu.ient worG.n
"l'lltake him into the city with me, g"
| said the man, and put him into my
! office. He's So nimhle, he'll be just
! rhe boy to run erranis."
When Pip came home TIC supper that
| night, grandma said TO him: Pip,
am gong to send you TO he city to
finish your education. You will go to
| Il new kind of school, where people
earn how TO work, and a good, kind
man is going to teach you"
Pip had no more idea OF the city than
g. baby, and ne did MT care much
about school. Il don't think l will
| co. ne said. I'D rather stay with
you and tue rest" The rest" mean
ing his wild pets in the fields and
| woods.
Grandma explained that it was
| necessary for him to 20 away and
! earn to take care OF himself. So Pip
aid no m3r,, but he told the boys he
was going to new school, to learn to
| axe care of himself.
| On, you are going to Tech" said
one. MY brother goes there Then
hey explained all the wonderful
| things boys learned there. but
| don't believe you will pass said the
| BOY, my brother had Il hard time to
PASS, and he knows lots more than
| you"
| Pip was not much disturbed, for he
thought the man and grandma knew
more about it than the boys.
Pip was bundled eff in the care of Il
friend very soon after this, and Il very
small bundle he was.
| Pip said grandma, as she kissed
him good bye trying hard to keep Il
smiling face, don't you mind all folks
| tell you. You do what the voice inside
of you tells you is right
| "All right, grandma" said Pip.
And don't you learn al! folks want
to teach you,n said grandma. You
learn what the voice inside of you tells
you is good to learn
| "All right, GRANDMA" said Pip.
| "There, I've given him the whole
thing in = NUTSHELL" said grandma,
standing in the doorway and blinking
fast through her tears to see the last
of Pip.
Very shortly after this grandma got
n letter rom Pip. This is the queer
est kind IA school," he wrote. They
are ali teachers but me. They sit be-
hind desks and write anu tell me what
to do. This is so much bigger than
the school house where | used to go;
ten times bigger. All the houses here
are big. There are SO mauy houses
there is hardly any room for the trees
l haven't seen a chipmunk or bird or
anything of that kind since l have
been here, but there's lots of queer
things. Mr.. Walls Gays am learning
| fast"
The clerks in Mr.. Walls Office did
| rot think Pip was Il very bright boy,
| hut he did as he was bid and seldom
| spoke. They got II little curious at
last and thought they would like to
find out what kind of stuff he was made
of, and what he vas thinking of all the
| time. or whether he was not thinking
of anything.
Here, Tow" called one of the clerks
at noon time, befor. they went to work,
| "herc's a cigar for YOU. have a good
smoke. il will make i, man at You -
'Ihauk v0u, replied Ptt, taking
| She CIGAR a. d waking toward the door
! WIN 4.
On. BE- soc able ana have Il smoke
al! right. said Pip.
The men tipped their chars back
| an,i pref AIRED for some fun. Pip tore
49,,
| around he cigar aud lighted it. Then
| he vent to the closet, brought cut the
| dust an and tlattening the paper,
stood the cigar up i'll i.
What istrat chap up to, anyway ?"
| exclaimed another clerk. Look here,
Tow, that's no way to smoke n cigar;
| put it III your mouth as We DO"
DO you Ike to smoke y cigar best
in your mouth ~ asked Pip, looking
at the man with a good deal of inter
| est.
"Of course | do, where were you
brought up p laughed the clerk, be-
ginning to suspect the boy was simple.
well, like TO smoke my cigar best
ont of my mouth" said Pip. Placing
the ttustpan little distance from him,
then taking a chair, he leaned his
elbows ON his knees and watched the
curling smoke with evident salisfac-
ton.
He's not all there" said the clerks.
But one OF them followed Pip out when
he went to supper and asked us they
walked up the street. What is TIE
reason You do not smoke, Tow" AL
the clerks called him Tow.
"Bscause ! have heard tobucco is
poison" said Tow. II don't want to
have prison all over the inside of me-"
"Oh. came now said the clerk,
who told you tobacco was poison ~
ut told Itself" >ai,l Pip. Itmake s
people sick to smoke uDless they are
used 20 1t, and | can't get the smel! out
0t M clothes. les awful sticky stuff.
When it gets anywhere 1t sticks there
| don't wa: : any such stuff inside of
me-"
The clerk did no tell his companions
of his talk with Pip. thinking they
would only laugh at him and poster
him all the more.
One afternoon the clerks sent Pip for
some lager beer When he returned
with it they gave him glass. "Thauk
you" said Pip, and walking to the
bowl where they washed their hands
he poured the beer into it,
Hold on - cried one of the men.
"thar costs money"
You poured yours out" said Pip,
$50 | poured ont mine. like to pour
nin- into 81 sewer pipe better than into
my stGu ic!i, for then it never troubles
r,e afterwarl."
L., "A 1