Evening star., 1928-06-07
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
BY WILLIAM MAKEpEACE THACKERAY-l
A LAZY IDLE BOY.

| ing with deeper purple. The SHADES
would be creeping up the golden walls
| the river brawling, the cattle calling
| the maids and chattelNboxes round the
| fountains babbling and bawling; and
several times In the course OF our sober
walks we overlook lazy. slouching boy.
or hobbledehoy, with a rusty coat, ano
| trousers too long, and big feet trailing
lazily one after the other, and large
| lazy hands dawdling from out the tight
sleeves. and in the lazy hands little
book. which my lad held up to his face
and which / daresay SO charmed him
| that he was blind to the beautiful
| sights around him. He was unmindful,
/ would venture to lay any wager, OF
the lessons he had to learn for tomor
row; forgetful, too, of mother waiting
supper, and father preparing scold-
| ing-absorbed utterly and entirely IN
| his book
What was it that so fascinated the
| young student as me stood by the river
shore? Not the Pons Asinorum OF
geometry. What book SO delighted
| him. and blinded HIM to all the rest
| of the world. so that he did not care
to see the apple woman with her fruit,
or (more tempting stir to sons OF Eve)
the pretty girls with their apple-cheeks,
who laughed and prattled round the
fountain2
What was the book? Do you sup
| pose 1t was Livy, or the Greek gram
mar? No; it was novel that you were
reading, you lazy, not very clean, good
| for nothing, sensible boy.
| 1t was D'Artagnan locking up Gen.
eral Monk In box, or almost succeed
| ing in keeping Charles the, First'S head
on It was the prisoner of the Chateau
DIFF cutting himself out of the sack 5O
! feet under water Il mention the novels
I like best myself-'"The Three
Musketeers" and Count of Monte
| Cristo"-novels without talking or love
or any of that sort of nonsense, but
containing plenty of fighting, escaping
robbery, and rescuing.D
On Dumas! oh thou brave, kind
gallant old Alexander Dumasl I here
| by offer thee homage, and give thee
thanks for many pleasant hours.
have read thee (being sick in bed) fol
! Is hours of a happy day, and had the
ladies of the house fighting for the
volumes. Be assured that lazy boy was
| reading Dumas (or / will go so far as
| to let the reader here insert the name
of his favorite author). AS for the
anger, or 1t may be the reverbera.
| LlOnS OF MS SCHOOL IIldSbeI Vi LIIc re-
monstrances of his father. or the tender
pleadings Of his mother that he shoulC
not let his supper grow cold-I doni
believe the scapergrace cared one fig
No! Figs are sweet, but fictions are
| sweeter.
Have you ever seen score of white
bearded. white -robed warriors, or grave
elders of the city. seated at the gate
| listening to the story teller recitine
| his marvels? was once present at q
table when . young gentleman put 9
| tart away from him. and said TO his
neighbor: 81 never eat sweets"
Not eat sweets! And do you know
why?" says his neighbor.
Because / am past that kind o.
things" says the young gentleman.
NO because you are glutton arlc
sotl" says the neighbor. 'All peo-
| pie who have natural. healthy ap.
| petites love sweets. All children, al
| women, all Eastern people. whose taste.
are not corrupted by gluttony anc
strong drink" And a plateful of rasp.
berries and cream disappeared before
the philosopher.
You get the point Novels are sweets
! All people with healthy literary ap'
| petites love them-that Is why I for
give that lazy. idle boy both his lazines'
and his idleness.
| fCapyright 1887