Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-02-05
~ wUST as Tom was swallowing his
last mouthful (three o'clock In
W the 1nnrninrl winding his com.

the morning., winding his COM
forter round his throat, and tucking
the ends into the breast of his coat,
the horn sounds. Boots looks in and
says: "Tally-h0, sir and they hear
the ring and the rattle Of the four
fast trotters and the town-made drag,
as 1t dashes up to the Peacock.
Anything for us, Bob? says the
burly guard, dropping down from be-
hind and slapping himself across the
chest.
"'Young genl'm'n, Rugby answers
hostler.
""rell young gent to look alive,
says the guard, opening the hlnd-boot
and shooting the parcels In after ex-
aiming them by the lamps. Here,
shove the portmanteau up a-top--Tll
fasten him presently. Now, there, sir,
jump up behind
'Good-by, father-my love at home
A last shake Of the hand. Up goes
Tom, the guard catching his hat-box
and holding on with one hand while
with the other he claps the horn to his
mouth. loot, foot, loot the hosters
let go their heads, the four bays plunge
at the collar, and away goes the tally
no into the darkness, As seconds from
the time they had pulled up"
So Tom Brown started to begin his
school days at Rugby when William
~ sat upon the throne. Squire
Brown had meditated something as
follows the night before; "Shall
/ tell him to mind his work and to
make himself good scholar2 Well,
but he isn't sent to school for that
at any rate not for that mainly.
don't care a straw for Greek par
ticles, or the digamma no more does
his mother. What is he sent to school
for? Well, partly because he wanted
to go. II he'll only turn out brave,
helpful, truth-telllng Englishman and
gentleman, and a Christian, that's
all ] want Upon this view Of the
case he framed his last words to
Tom. "And now, Tom, my boy, re-
member you are going at your own
earnest request, to be chucked into
this great school, like young bear
with all your troubles before you
earlier than we should have sent you
perhaps" (Tom was nine) IF schools
are what they were In my time you'll
see great many cruel BLACKBOARD
things done, and hear deal of foul
bad talk. But never fear. You tell
the truth, keep brave and kind heart,
and never listen, or say anything you
wouldn't have your mother and ss-
ter hear, and you'll never feeEashamed
to come home, or we to see you"
Toms father was a great asset to
the boy. For though he belonged to
what is called the upper middle class,
the opinion which the squire loved to
PROFOUND above all others was tho
belief that man Is to be valued wholly
for that which he is In himself, for
that which stands up In the four
fieshly walls Of him, apart from clothes,
rank, fortune, and all externals what
soever. He held further that 1t didn't
matter straw whether his son assoc
ciated with lords sons or plowmens
sons, provided they were brave and
honest. SO Tom had merry and right
democratic time with the boys of
the village, and learned much that
stood him in good stead when he got to
Rugby, among other things to value
man or boy wholly for what was in
him, whether II was Harry Windburn,
the quickest and best boy in the par
ish, who taught him the turns and
holds which later carried him through