Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-24
Trials of Youth Reve2oed BY the Chairman of The Pipe Dreaers.

that would last until few minutes af-
ter nine.
Il remember how 1 envied my little
brother playing out in the yard. He
was too young to go to school. And l
can remember so distinctly sitting
there in the kitchen, sitting so still
and solemn, while my mother fixed up
my dinner bucket First she cut FOUR
pieces Of bread and then sne buttered
them very calmly. Then she cut two
pieces Of cold beef that had been left
over from the Sunday dinner. 1t was
boiled beef, IL l remember correctly.
She put these between the pieces Of
bread and slowed them away in. the
bottom of the bucket, and then she put
in hard boiled egg and two little pa
per packages OF salt and pepper. Let's
see, now. what came next. think
she put In large squashy pickle and
two red apples. On, what misery en-
dured! There seemed to be some heavy
weight bearing on me. How sick at
heart was and, Oh, how lonely and
unsympathetic the whole world seemed
to be! What a mockery was the sun
light and the joyous clucktng Of the
chickens. out in the yardl
81 can see mother now. She worked
away st the lunch with averted eyes.
/ know she was AFRAID she'd cry IL she
looked at that forsaken. prosecuted,
crushed little figure over on the wood
en- chair. She tried TO hum something,
but the song died on her lips. oh, why
could she be 50 relentless? Why
couldn't she tell me that I needn't go
until tomorrow and then we could both
be so happy again. l could see that
she was set IN her purpose. I could feel
the tears well into my eyes and her
figure swan mistily before me. The
lid Of the bucket was put on and fast
ened down tight And even then she
couldn't look me straight in the eyes.
There" she said. "see what a nice
dinner I've fixed up for my little man
sOh, what a pitiful attempt at cheer
fulness ii was--what a hollow pre-
tense. f -s-
And then remember the sudden
feeling Of desperation that seized me.
/ must do something and do it quickly.
I hastily diagnosed myself as a last
resort, as a drowning man would grasp
at a straw. Ny head, my arms and my
Iegs-not sign OF a pain in any OF
them. Even my ankle that had
sprained during the summer would not
come to the rescue. 1t was hopelessly
well and Gid not twinge the least bit
Wnen TWISTED
my stomach-ahl what. was that?
It surely did feel kind O. funny. Yes,
sir: hooray! That was a pain, sure
enough! Only 1t didn't stay in the
same place all the time. Part of the
time it would be on this side and then
1t would skip over. TO the other side.
Surprising it was cholera or diphtheria
or something awful: you bet. mother
would be sorry then that she treated
me this way. Shed feel mighty sorry
IL died and the hearse came and
took me away to the burying ground
down near the church. oh, what JOY
seized me as 1 eagerly tried to corral
this vagrant pain, that hurt awful
when / kept my mind fixed on. ii.
decided TO make the appeal before
the pain deserted me entirely.
q Mother, said, twitching my face,
something hurts awful down here.
oh. gee, how that hurts. Don't touch
IT," ,-
But she hadn't tried to touch me at
ali. She was still standing over near
the kitchen table and when / peeped
at her through an eye half closed by
the throes Of agony, 1 could see that
she was smiling.
q We'll, it does hurt exclaimed,
anEriIy. but / could feel the ground
slipping away from under my reet-
Poor boy she said, softly, and
she put her arm around me and kissed
me and said she hoped I'd be better
soon. And then presently felt her
open my hand and put the handle
OF nay dinner bucket in IL, and then
she tucked my books and slate under
my arm and gave me the gent., shove
that started me on my sad trip TO
school.
BE a good boy, she called out, as
I slowly disappeared around the house.
never even looked back or smiled,
for / hoped that could hurt her feel
ings by repelling any conciliatory at
tempts to make up half wished
that i, would be run over by a rum
away farm team, 50 that would
have my revenge when they carried
ny Tnang1ed remains in through the