Shoshone journal., 1923-01-12
THE
STRANGE BOY
WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE
lIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIII.:IIIiIIIlIiliIiilIliIIIIIIl
Copyrighs. 1922, BY the Macmillan Co.

their work In the Maiiuib ant
Il were considering larger mat
ters concerning their coming like
They were Twelve. Thirteen ard -Four
teen, and full Of the JOY that washes
into life with the first full tide OF
youth. At the Manual they had been
making things with their hands In
wood and iron and stone. Creation
seemed good to them. And they
sfaIked. making their tomorrow a kind
ef exalted yesterday. which is the way
of yoc.h. An ole party Of f0rty-hve,
sitting near >.aem reading a musty
book that had been of the list Of best
sellers for six long months. closed the
book over his finger to mark the place
while he listened to the chatter of
tie boys
There was talk of a days walk
in the country; of raft to be made
at the river under the scout-master's
direction: OF rishing tackle TO be had
at the towns store; where the best
rods might be bought; what minnows
were worth. Some consideration was
given to lie various grades Of khaki
for scouting suits
and second classes. and much Of their
chatter was Of camp and field.
The boys were lying on lawn be-
meath the stone veranda railing
Nhereon his old feet rested. From
time to time the youngsters looked
up as automobiles went whizzing by
and In monosyllables checked on the
makers and perhaps the owners OF
the machines: but the checking did
not stay their talk of the glorious to-
morrows. silvered and gilded with
yesterdays.
Canned sighed the old party
"Canned boysr" he repeated
The boys looked up and. seeing
the feet disappear from the railing.
Thirteen rose quickly and said as he
appeared:
"Yes. sir. What was 1t, Fatheri
Did you speakT
The old party shook his head. and
the boys stretched out again on the
blue grass. AS he opened his book
and fumbied for his place. over the
page top he saw, coming round the
house from the rear. thin. freckled.
barefooted youth. with long trousers
rolled UP halfway TO his knees. shnw-
ing the Powered calico lining Sus
penders striped the shoulders of the
boys coarse-checked blue-andwhite
cotton shirt Twisted into his right
suspender-was Y-shaped stick.
wound with rubber. whereon a dia-
mond-shaped leather piece dangled
from two strings.
IF the marshal sees that he'll ar
rest your said the man; and as the
strange boy grnned the old party
asked: Where have you been SO
longY
The other boys did not seem TO
notice the strange boy. who grumbled
as he sat down beside them:
Doing my chores. Old Sooky's
calf like to never got her supper out
of this bucket. And old Sooky tried
to hold up on me. l think they
ought to make somebody brush the
flies Off while milk. bet old Sooky |
hit me In the eye dozen times with |
her TAIL Say. they's mangerful of |
kittens In The south STALL"
The other boys looked up when the
old party shifted his feet and
groaned:
'Oh, These are not real boys
they're canned boysI All the other
industries have left the hom2 for
tie cannery-why not boy-making?
Here. boys" The old party lifted
his voice sharply.
"Yer SIR cried Fourteen. rising
egilely and saluting.
(which one OF you knows what
wood makes the best arrows? Which
c1e OF you ever seasoHed piece of
Hickory behind the stove over the
weed hN all winter for your bow? Do
vor know what bodark ls?'
ayes. sir" replied Thirteen. 1T
IS n corruption of rhe French words
hols dare. meaning wood of the arch.
tlld is prnbably in Indian tranSla
ten Of the French habiiants word
1escrihiss the tough. spr ngy wood ~ /
he Os;ige orange. or common hedge 1
,lant."
The strange boy grInned and tie old f,
,arty answered:
"oh- grand Now then, Bud.syou
ell them about the bodark"
The b"ys sai down. and fhe old
'arty took the words from the
trnnge hays mouth and went on lc
'f5odArk Is a hard brown wood and u
lnkss the hest bo~ you ever saw-- I
ettsr iiinn hickory even. Few boys {
hat know ever had bodark how. 9
hongh an of tfsn knew that the u
adams prlzsd hssl.lrk highly Il
"say. boys ~ihs man addressed hun q
~ to llT ynufhs whose faces IA
ssined eheruhleuily over the eail ~
'ss'pposs you enuld have liaho y
am ana pouElas Fnlrbanhs and a.
~ H'fnissi s,1allmaslel ln lhs world a