Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-26
rHE BOY WHO DIARIES.

there was boy in the same town who
Would never take dare" and who
was always daring to do all sorts OF
foolhardy things on his own account.
i remember that he used to dare to
stand on the railroad track until the
engine was almost upon him, and he
would dare to climb out on the
branches of the tallest trees. He
would dare to walk on the tops OF
high walls of unfinished buildings. He
would dare to do even sillier things
than those have mentioned, for re-
member that once, when the other
boys dared him to do it, he walked
the entire length of the main street OF
the town wearing an enormously large
hoopskirt, while he had tin pan on
his head for a hat.
OF course, boy like this would
dare to do things that were not only
silly, but he would dare do things
that were wrong and that were
source of annoyance and trouble to
others. One day he dared bring
dead mouse to school and throw It
over on the girls side of the room
during the session of the school. OF
course, there was wild scramble for
the top of their seats on the part of
the girls, who did not know that the
mouse was dead. This threw the
school into an uproar, and the boy
VINO threw the mouse dared to tell a
lie and declare that some one else
threw 1t. The proof against him was
overwhelming and he received tie
whipping he deserved.
l have never known one of these
never take dare" boys to do any
thing really brave and heroic. Stand
ing on a railroad track until the train
is almost upon one is not the act of
brave nor of sensible boy. 1t is
not proof of either physical or moral
courage. The man or the boy who
PUSHES in front of an advancing train
to save little child frem death is a
real hero, because the deed is in
| spired by desire to save another at
the risk of ones own life; but to de-
liberately place ones life in jeopardy
merely-to take up dare" is as silly
a deed as boy can perform.
Tue boy who dares to do thing of
this kind will some time dare to
smoke and drink, and he is quite sure
to be boy who has such full conf
dence in his ability to take care of
himself that he will go where he
| pleases and do as ne pleases with i'm
| punity. 1t is doing the boy who dares
to do anything and everything no in.
justice to say that he is fool, but
unfortunately for him he belongs to
the class of fools of whom it has been
written that 1.-The follies of the fool
are known to the world, but are hid
den from himself"
The boy who rushes into danger
merely "to show off" or because he
will not take dare" is not nearly
SO wise or brave as the boy who, see
ing danger. does not overlook nor
rush into it unless it is necessary tc
do so.
"a valiant man
Ought not to undergo or tempt 6
danger,
But worthily, and by selected ways;
He undertakes by reason, not by
| chance"
j. l.. Harbour, In the American
Boy.
RANDOLPH AMONG THE BOYS.
The celebrated John Randolph
when at the zenith of his power as ;
leading member of Congress had three
wards (nephews) at the school of the
Rev. Drury Lacy, Prince Edward
County, Virginia, and used to be {
frequent visitor there.
1t was Lacy's custom to hear his
boys recite their Latin and Greel
grammar lessons before breakfast
and Randolph was known, more tial
once, to come from Bizarre (twt
miles3 and enter the schoolhouse b!
sun-up. At nine o'clock the school
house was formally opened, when thu
boys read verses in the Bible unit
the chapter or portion was finished
Randolph always seemed highly pleas
ed at this exercise, read his verse il
turn, and with Lacy sometimes would
ask questions. On one occasion. Will,
reading one of the books of the Pen
dateuch, ne stopped lad with thu
question:
Tom Miller, can you tell me wit
was Moses father?"
-Jethro, sir" was the prompt an
:swer-
why. you little dog, Jethro wa
his fahher-in-law!"
1 Then putting the question to fou
or five others by name, not one o
whom could answer, he berated then
.soundly for their carelessness and in
attention in reading. saying:
! When you were reading last weel
William Cook read the verse contain
ing the name of Moses father, ant
have you forgotten it already?"
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