The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-05-16
THOSE HAPPY DAYS.
YOUTHFUL PAsTIMEs OF WISE
ROBERT

5fapn DAu Caught MS GEt'
The other man looked up, One OF
your boylsh ideals been getting mar
riod Or Giyorcel?" he asked Maybe
HI vAs one u her daughters? Time
does ran. ON. doesn't it? ! suppose
ymr mind goes back to the bob rides
under the mystic December MOON or
the skating on the pond by the gas-
house. Or was it the walks
"Alsernon." said the man with the
evening paper you are considerably
off the track. although. now that you
speak of it. remember that there
was bob ride | forgot about
the moonlight. but | remember dis.
/ tlnctly that a thaw had done deadly
work with the snow and the bob
pulled over the bare gritty ground
in spots.
THAT took on the romance, dhint
IT." .Romancc. the man with the
evening paper snortei Say mere IL
paragraph that brings back certain
pictures Of my bayhood's happy Gays
lit the old Flftn ward school in that
Iowa town There We're two boys
whom remember particularly we'll.
One was recently from the country.
He was solemneyed green little
geezer. without much nerve Nerve.
YOU Auow. is necessary to success.
The other had all the worldly wisdom
ana easy assurance that county
seat u this Kind can supply, and that
is plenty. It is he who | am apprised
bv TITS interesting news item is juss
coming into his own again after
period of obscurity OF durance vile,
as the poet says But the old brie&
schoolhOuse--
THE same old bricks are in the wall,
The bell swings to and fro,
lnterrolatel the other man.
"Not on your life AS I started TO
say. the old brick sehoohouse is gone
now killed two workmen when it fell,
by the way
The wise little fellow | was speak
ing eff was named Robert. At that
time he was somewhat older than
Francis Perhaps he is yet-the
point is immateriaL He was one
OF these thoroughly up-to-date kiGs.
H. knew human nature 70 a dot ana
this made him a great force among
the boys It is true that he was three
or four years behind his proper grade
at school, but why knock?
Robert was thoroughly rosted, on
what maa ought 10 DO under all
circumstances. For instance. when the
school had prepared what Was known
as an apple shower for Miss Graves
Robert knew that the proper thing
was 10 paste The fruit vigorously NJ
against the wall So It was done. It
made the apples a bit mellow and
s1uashy. throwing them did, but it lel
beautiful frescoes on the sides Of the
room. marks of her little pupils love
and respect. The teacher wept and
say. tie room was a sight
yes. Robert was dear child, He
was an original little imp, TOO. Whsn
the free delivery of mail was intro
duced into our town he was first to
fill the letter boxes at the corners
with clicks and snow Also he de-
lighted TO turn in false alarms over
the new electric system But he didn
do that often after they got on TO
him. Thus. you see, he possessed
those Qualities of initiative and au~
dacity witch make men natural lead
ers Little Francis wondered and
ebudderad al him and envted him a
good dea!, but he couldn't ever imi-
tate him. Francis was hypnotized a
little. | guess.
ale was a good deal OF an i'm
nresario. Robert was. in a pugilistie
way. lie didn't fight muca himself
but he made the other boys scrap for
HIS amusement. That was acre lHno-
cent Francis came in handy Francis
was an easy mark But think a
how who win permit himself TO be
bazad really deserves all be gets. don't
vouq Ycu have no idea how Francis
suffered THAT was before | ever TOOK
boxing lessons ana learned % carry a
gun-excuse me. I mean Frrncis you
understand. Francis learned to
carry a gun.
cone OF Roberts strong points was
the fact that he always ke't his fol-
lowers guessing. The bob ride was
sample of This policy. II vas got up
among the very young ladies and gem
tlemen of the fourth grammar grade.
/ II cost ten cents apiece F!ancis was
invited much to his surprise. There
+ hammered 10 be ten boys and only
I nine girls On this bob ride. The per-
SON I'm charge Of the h0r"es was 4
1aroe rude man with gruff ways. The
! bodv of the sleigh was crowded and
somebody had to sit with fhe driver
! Francis didn't mind it much. He
thought that maybe it was fart Of the
anne The other little angels en-
i,ved themselves after the fashion oil
their kind
Poor old Francis. Hes Been doing
cunts of that sort ever since. And be
never knows that he's getting the
/ worst Of IT, until afterward.
Time does fly. indeed. Our town
.ot too small for Robert esrly in his
.areer and ne came 10 the great me-
,ropolis. as so many bright youths 10
10 followed his bent and vent into
politics. How appropriate ;Hat word
.bsnt' is in this instancei That's why