The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-09
TELLS HOW THE SCHOOL
 BULLY WAS CONQUERED
BY WALTER HARPER

to the end of the term he would refund
 all the money he had paid for board This
 implied dare and he agreed to take the
 job.
 Within few days the young teacher, who was small of stature and had no fighting record or training, discovered that the school was possessed of bully and he realized that he would sooner or later have to conquer that bully or fail on the job.
 This bully had been the undoing of ev- cry teacher that had tried the assignment. Every victory had given him greater courage and more prestige. Things went along very we'll for TWO weeks and the young teacher began to hope that the bully had taken compass sion on his youthfulness, his size and tho fact that he was tenderfoot from the east.
 But the outbreak came without mo- ment's warning and in a most unexpected fashion.
 Just after the opening of school at tho beginning of the third week the door was knocked open from the outside by tho rammng of some heavy object. The opening of the door was followed by two boys bearing on their shoulders at each end long plank. Stretched on the plank on his back was the bully. After they entered the boy in front dropped his end of the plank on the floor and the bully
 slid to his feet. The other boy then dropped the plank on the floor with a crash and all three stood ready for the show to begin.
 The young teacher realized that his time had fully arrived. The boys were waiting for him. He sat at his desk in
 absolute. almost dumbfounded, silence for
 fully ten minutes debating in his mind what course to take.
 The bully and his partners waited in silence, while the other pupils squared themselves for developments The teach 1 CTS first thought was to put on his hat and return to Washington. But he aban- doned the idea on second thought. He was not a coward. and yet he expected to get whipped if he tackled his duty The bully was much larger than himself | and he had his lieutenants who would ev- idently stand by him.
 The ten minutes silence had it's effect on | the boys. He had been able to control any
 show of temper. He took the conspirators | by surprise f Take the board out of the house." The command was to the boy at the tail end.s He obeyed instantly. He did it be- l fore he was aware that he was obeying a command. This broke the spell The l teacher saw his advantage and pressed his opportunity.
 You come up where can talk to you" This was to the bully and he obeyed. l This was new experience He conl-
 manded the bully to sit down at his sidc
 and the bully obeyed. Perhaps his curi- osity was aroused. Then the young teacher made the plea of his life. He talked to that boy as he had never been able to talk to anyone
 before. He told the bully that he would
 have to thrash him or take thrashing. 1 T have been employed to. teach this
 school and I am going to teach 1t. What | importance do you attach to yourself that you assume to interfere with the rights
 of this community and prevent those who
 would have the benefits of an eduoetion from enjoying that privilege. Now, am going to whip you as you deserve or you will whip me and I will leave the com munity. You will be still further dis graced and the community will continue
 to suffer from your senseless folly. Con- l tinue to follow this course and 1t will not
 be many years until you will regret IL
 seriously. Now, bring me withe from the edge of the woods there. If you fall to return at once you shall never enter
 this door again while I remain" | The bully went to the woods and-re- turned with a sout hickory. He stood
 for his whipping and the bully was cons quered. st
 After s5 years returned to that same community on visit" continued the old l gentleman,'' and that bully, then grown and married Che was two years older Ithan myself) came eight miles to sec me
 and to thank me for changing the whole
 course of his life.'