The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-05-09
W. @. T. u. DEPARTMENT..
Conducted by the ladies of the w. C.
-. u. of Anderson, s. C..
Wiliie's ssAmendment.
BY EsTELLE MENpELL AMoRY.

|
may all bring me some incidents show
ing the harm that liquor and tobacco
have done; something that you've
read in the paper or know Of your
SELF" Miss Reed was just going to
dismiss her little country school when
9 hand was raised, aud, Teacher"
came from bright, questioning boy.
Don't they never do no good" ask
ed Willie Swensop.
''That is good question, Willie;
We must always be just, even TO our
enemies, so will ask you to also
bring any fact or case where they have
done good And in the burst Of un-
concerned merriment and noise that
followed the tap of the bell, il would
seen that all Of teachers" in
functions and requests must be for
gotten. r.
| But before the long walks across the
beautiful prairies were accomplished,
every one Of the t7onty blue-eyed,
faxen-haired little Swedes and Danes
was eagerly searching his scanty col
lection Of facts, and almost before the
"piece' was called for, mamma was
asked to help oat on teachers ques-
tion." At the supper tables it was
also an interesting topic, especially
Willie SWenson's "amendment," as
one Of the older boys termed it. This
seemed to especially please the faith
ers, most of whom used the subtle
weed while all thouaht it no harm to
take friendly glass" now and then.
Still the little community was above
the average in industry and morality,
owning large, well-tilled farms, and
having Sunday school, and "preach-
ing" occasionally in their own Ian
guage.
AS might be expected, therefore,
facts concerning "Willie's Amend
ment" were abundant, and more
than one "Adolph" and emil" and
"Theda'' were very anxious for to-
morrow.
"Oh, got one; what you got?" was
the uLiveral greeting that bright juno
morning; but, oh, how the facts seem
to vanish, as, after the Tort devotion
al exercises, they were each called to
give them. ''This telling about things
like preacher as Claus Oleson
termed it, was one of Miss Reeds
many 'new ways" Of developing her
pupils, aud as yet was terrible strain
on the courage Of these timid little
foreignets.
Some Of the old ones prefaced their
quantity told stories or incidents with
ut stood in the paper last night, and,
of course, were the familiar tales of
misery and ruin.
But has no enc found any good
thai these things do?" asked the
teacher, as Bcde Isaacson sat down,
her cheeks rivaling the sweet roses
pinned on her blue gown.
For few seconds there was an
awkward pause, when the doughty
Willie Swenson rose to champion his
amendment:
"Well, my fader had an aunt and
her stomach got bad, and she took all
the medicine in the drugstore, but she
didn't get no better, and SO the doctor
he told her to chew some tobacco and
swallow the juice, and she get we'll
right off,
Every other word Of this short
speech had stuck in the poor boys
throat, but-by means Of worming his
bare feet and working at his one sus-
pender, he scored his victory. Sew
eral Of his companions on the "de-
fense' looked jubilant, but almost
before the teacher asked chow
they would answer this fact hands
were up.
81 don't think it did cure the stom-
ach,'' replied Iva Larson, who was
studying physiology, SIT only dead.
ened the nerves, SO she didn't feel
it."
''But ifit did cure that added
thoughtful Anna Iverson, tobacco is
tobacco, and it did other things, too,
just what physiologysays-abou the
lungs and juices and kidneysi
Sand it hurts the eyes, chipped
in Adolph johnson. little fellow Of
seven, while his seatmate gained
courage to add, "And the hear, teach
err
eyes, said Miss Reed, the phys.
icians who are now examining meu for
the war End great many with hearts
injured by tobacco, and they canno.
take ti,e.e ea= sA s..sy w5uiid Iol make