The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-14
BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY



 speak" Tod never blanched, looked silly, and hung down his head. Tod never mumbled in an undertone, was never at a loss to use his hands, nor ever had his piece" so poorly memorized that he must hesitate with awkward re- petitions to sit down at last in worthless misery among he unfeeling and derisiye plaudts Of the school. Tod, In a word. knew no such word as fall when his turn was called to entertain his hearers either with the gallant story of the youthful "Casabianca, The Speech of Logan. or "Castiline's Defiance" Let a scholar be in training for the old-time exercises 1 of Friday afternoon, and he was told to speak out clear and full-not hang his head-not let his arms hang down llke empty sleeves-but to stand up like a l king, look everybody in the face, as though he were doing something to be l proud of-in short. to take Tod for his model. ard speak out like manr'
 When Tod failed to maxe his appear ance with his usual promptness one Fri day afternoon, and the last day of tho term, there was evidence of general dis appointment. Tod was to deliver ora tion written especially for that occasion l by the teacher. The visitors were all | there-the school committee and the min l ister, Tod's father who occupied Tods desk alone when books was called. | The teacher, with his pallid eare-worn face, tiptoed up and down the aisles, l bending occasionally to ask a whispered | question, and to let the look of anxious | wonder deepen on his face the re- | spectful pupils shook their heads in silent response. But upon whispered colloquy with the minister, his face frightened, as he learned that Tod was practising | his oration in the wood house half an | ha rff of "a hal A boy was sent to bring him, but re- | turned alone, to say that he had not been | able to find any trace of him.
 'Oh, he'll be here in time enough said the teacher apologetically to the sad faced minlster-"Hes deeply interested in his effort for this afternoon. and I'm eef- tain he wouldn't purposely disappoint me" The good man In reply shook his head resignedly. with a prayerful flight of the eyes indicative of long suffering and forebearance.
 The opening services of singing and prayer. No Tod.
 First class in arithmetic called-exam- 1 ined No Tod.
 Second class, ditto still no Tod Pri- mary class in ditto. composed of little twin sisters. aged six. with very red | hair and very fair skin, and very short | dresses and very slim legs Tod failed to 1 join his class
 The long-suffering minister was Ill at l ease. The exercise failed in some way to appease the hunger of the soul within. He looked out of the open window ner- vously, and watched a saucy little sap sucker hopping up and down a tree; first up one side and then down the other, suddenly disappearing near the roots, and as suddenly surprising him with mischievous pecking near the top fork. He thought of his poor wayward boy, NN3tI 1 yet, in some wise ruling of a gracious Providence. escape the gallows, and with deep sigh turned to the noisy l quiet of the schoolroom he did not even smile as took up Tods geography, opened at the boys latest work-a pie 1 ture of the state seal, where a 'stalwart pioneer in his shirt-sleeves hacked away l at a gnarled and stubborn looking tree | without deigning to notice u s.ampeGng | herd of buffalo that dashed by in most alarming proximity. The roncna1anee of the sturdy yoeman was intensified by | Tods graphic pen which had mounted each plunging monster with a daring rider, holding slack bridle rein in one hand, and with the other swinging 8 plug hat In the most exultant and deff- ant manner. This piece or grotesque art and others equally suggestive of the out cropping genius of their author were | put wearily aside, only serving as it | seemed to deepen rather than dissolve the gloom enshrouding the good fathers face. And so the exercises wore along 1 till recess came, and with it came the missing Tod.
 I'm in time am I? Goodyi' shouted Tod, jumping over small boy who had stopped to pick up a slate pencil and stopping abruptly in front of the teach 1 CTS desk.
 Why, Tod; what in the worId"' | Tod's features wore a proud exultant smile. though somewhat glamoured with network of spiteful looking scratches; and his eyes were more than usually bright, although their lids were blue, and | swollen to a size that half concealed them. His head held jauntily erect sug- | gested nothing but boyish spirit: but his | hair tousled beyond all reason, with It, tie wisps of 1t glued together with elots | of blood; his best clothes soiled and | torn; a bruised and naked knee shooting 1 through straight rent across one leg of his trousers, conveyed the idea of a recent passage through some gantlet of l disastrous fortune.
 | It was nothIng Tod said, only on his way to school he had come upon a blind man who played the fiddle and sold lead pencils, and the boy who had been lead ing him had stolen something from him; and Tod had voluntarily started in pur- suit of the fugitive. only to overtake him after prolonged chase of more than mile. And now I've got you out of town,' said the offender, wheeling sud denly upon him. ''Ill jist meller your head fer you' After a long pause. in which Tcd's face was hidden from the curious group about him, as the teacher bent over him at tue back steps pour ing water on his head, he ccntinued
 Didn't think the little cuss was so stout Oh! I'm scratched up, but you ought to see him. And you ought to hear hNn hollcr Nuff! and you ought to see him hand over three boxes of pens and them penholders ard pencils he stor ed ana q whole bunch O envelopes; there's blood on some of em. and the blind man said l could keep 'em. and he give mo a lead pencil, too, with red in one end and hlue Tn the other. Father, you sharpen l it."
 Tod never spoke better in his life than l on that memorable afternoon-so well indeed did he acquit himself that the good old father failed to censure him that evening for the sin of fighting, and l perhaps never would have done so had not the poor blind man so far forgotten the dignity of his great affliction as to get as drunk as he was blind two even
 HE SENDS IT FREE TO MEN. The Following Letter From a churn hA r.