Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1888 — THE SCHOOLBOY. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SCHOOLBOY.

BY ANNA CERES FRITSCH.

E ariseth in the morning and weep -eth, saying: “Verily, I say unto thee, ma, a savere pain racketh my body and chaineth me to ,my bed.” His ma believeth him, for her heart knoweth no guile and she yearneth over her fiist-born, and she descendeth to the kitchen and prepareth for his break-

fast ■whatsoever the house containeth of delicacies. And she bearath up to him freshly laid eggs and broiled ham and cream fritters anointed with maple syrup, and entreateth him to partake thereof. But he squinneth upon his couch and declareth his inability to eat, and his ma departeth from his chamber, greatly cast down in spirit, saying: “Lo, this my son is in for the measles or something ; i woe is me!" And when his ma is no longer visible to the naked eye, he suddenly recovereth his health and devoureth what she hath set before him; even the last crumb thereof gobbleth he up. And he boundeth from his bed and putteth on his raiment; yea, even < as a young kid boundeth he. He deI scendeth from his window by means of a rope,and his father's house kooweth him no more until night draweth nigh; for hath he not journeyed to the next town, where a circus company plyeth its trade under canvas tent, and hath he not squandered his father’s shekels therein ? He tyeth an empty whisky jug under the chariot of him who preacheth the gospel unto the people and sitteth in high places, and when he approacheth the temple the populace exclaimeth: “Lo! wouldst thou preach temperance sermons unto us and drinkest the juice of the fruit of the vineyard thyself? Get thee hence, oh, thou false apostle, for though honey drippeth from thy tongue, thy heart is filled with corruption and evil dwelleth therein.” His mother maketh a cake for unexpected company and frosteth the top, yea, with great skill frosteth it she. And the schoolboy remembereth it and layeth it to his heart, and when the daylight waneth he getteth in his work on the cake. And when his ma taketh out the cake to set before the minister, and his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, she is much cast down in spirit and murmureth, saying: “Alas! who hath done this unto me? Would that I could my hand upon him!” He seattereth the bristles of the swine upon the couch of the handmaiden ; likewise streweth he Canada thistles thereon. He pincheth the tail of the house cat in the rat-trap, and his heart relenteth not; neither pityeth he the quadruped. I JThese and numerous other misdeeds perpetrateth the schoolboy, yet his ma loveth him and shieldeth him from the rod of his father; yea, from bis righteous anger shieldeth she him, saying: “Behold now, this, my son, is fledi of thy flesh and bone of thy bone; wouldst thou chastise the stripling for being a chip of the old block’?”—Chiuago Ledger