The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-04
WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT.
A Pen Picture of Juvenile Eyubcr-
Rnce When Tasks Are Ended.

| Rnce When Tasks Are Ended.
(From the New York Commercial Advcrtiscr)
The old janitor in blue jeans comes
| lamely TO the school doors and throws them
! open wide. A few careful mothers of very
| small boys and girls in the "A c" stand
! around, waiting to escort their fedglings
/ home. Many countries are represented in
] the group. and several degrees of prosper
/ ity Two mothers from Italy stare covert
! ly ct each other. One is in the coal and
! ice business, and wears a dingy shawl over
/ head and shoulders, and hasn't changed
her manner Of costume much since her ad-
vent here: the ether is the wife of sue
| cessful fruit merchant, and is ambitious.
as her beribboned apparel testifies- A
! sharp-nosed American gcssips volubly with
comfortable. fat Irish woman. \ co lpe
| drives up TO the middle door 10 carry home
! the little daughter of the doctor. The
mothers stare and whisper obviously, but
plainly are impressed. Suddenly there is
tremendous Gathering on the stairs. a
cyclone Of wild boys bursts through the
doors with dscordant yelling, and school
is out The little girls come out primiy
enough. and then scatter like chickens.
Some go tearing down the street hotly
pursued by ungallaDt youths bent on pull
ing their hair and otherwise maltreating
the weaker sex. The small girls Shrek
with great fear and Indignation but, when
the pursuit stops, Immediately encourage
it further by derisive and tantalizing re-
marks.
"Gunny Pete-Gunny Pete" taunting-
ly shout four feminine voices at a sturdy,
swarthy youth, who is earnestly engaged
in a game of ''miggs.' He makes several
tentative rushes at the owners thereof,
but they evade him and keep up their ieer-
ing cries concerning his nativity. until eX-
tod ,, hn
dashes after his tormentors; he violently
pulls the long, braided hair of one, and
koncks the books from the arms of another.
Crying bitterly. they promise to tell the
teacher on him tomorrow. and woman
passing calls shame" on him for hurting
the sweet, innocent little girls.
The classes continue to pour out With
prolonged hey-yey-yey. a swarming mass
of boys suddenly surrounds a small and
neatly-clad fellow They punch him,
knock of his cap jostle him and abuse him
heartily as he slowly moves down the
street He tries TO defend himself, but the
buzzing and bowling mob grows larger and
blocks the street. 1t appears that he is
monitor of the ice water in his class, and
his official duty compelled him to tell the
teacher on Jimmie Dunn, who kept drop
ping contraband articles into the pail a.
odd times during the day, and Jimmie 1t
was who has melted this riot y woman
standing at her gate rescues the jealous
monitor as the mob passes and she vigor
ously cuffs and knocks about the nearest
little rioters.
Over by one door, half a dozen boys dc
great battle with their books as weapons
there is always a board of education to
supply more. it appears. notebook flies
into pieces and the pieces fly before the
wind down the street. 4 white Wing.
who had just finished his labor of cleaning
the street, makes tracks for the nearest
boy
''Ha. ha. We dom thafe O. tn wurld. he
roars shaking the boy by the collar
"G'wan an pick oop thin schraps. livery
wan, or, begob, Oi'll knock the dyyrle cut
o We" He prods the unfortunate young
ster with his broom. and the boy. whim-
pering, travels ahead and picks up the
scattered papers, amid the jeers Of his
companions.
'Oh, my, amt we proud amt We
proud" derisiyely cry two little girls in
chorus to a classmate who has stayed home
from school for the day and is now return
ing from a visit to her grandma. perhaps,
as she is dressed in her best yelvetcen
coat. She smiles primly as she stares
ahead with a far-off stare and altogether
gives distinct impression of cold hauteur.
Her father keeps the saloon on the corner
and has been to the Assembly. And some
day her wedding will fill much valuable
space in the newspapers, perhaps.
'Wiliie-Willie-eet" calls from a door
way shrill voice to delinquent " no has
fingered to watch some big boys. There
is twinkling up the street OF pair of
little trousered legs of marvellous short
ness and fairness, and Willie climbs his
stoop, palpitating, to be greeted by his
mother with a slap and reprimand
The big boys start to kicking dilapi-
dated football. produced from somewhere;
the ball has lost its wind. having a large,
gaping crack across its face; this crack,
creating the impression of a wide smile,
gives to the ball an appearance of exceed
ing cheerfulness and hilarity as it rises
in the air or lies griuning in the gutter.
But eventually it lodges on the balcony of
the veterinary surgeon, who is known to
be person of violent manners and an ac-
quaintance of the policeman as well. So
the boys take to fight.
a pretty little girl with brown curls,
who lives opposite the school. runs quickly
across. but is intercepted by some mis-
chievous boy classmates, who, with great
politehess, invite her to take walk. Feel
ing indisposed to accept they drag her
along and she screams for her mamma. One
little boy, with rosy cheeks and roguish
eyes. comes up behind and kisses her with
a loud smack. Maize for that is her
name, breaks away and affects tears. but
she is born coquette and deeply relishes
these rough attentions. particularly her
dearest friend. aged ten, looks on and pre-
tends to be cruelty shocked. Maze scolds.
and her admirers Immediately attack her
in most astonishing and ungailant rhyme.
"MaZie Maloney's big fat bologna she
tries to be tony and walks like a pony"
etc. Her best friend laughs gleefully and
runs home. and Maize, pouting, rings her
bell and disappears.
There are one or two incipient scraps
and few small girls stroll along. Pretty
soon the street is quiet once again, and
the old janitor comes along Iamely a.d
closes all but the middle doors.