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Show GETTING HEADY FOR SCHOOL. He was a lad of thirteen. He spit through bis lront teeth, and he Bpit often. His pants were supported by a piece ol wire clothes-line girted around his waist, bis hat was ancient and greasy, and his big 11 it feel seemed to be waiting for a tender shower to wash them clean. "That's what ails me," he weut on as he pushed his toes iuto the sand. "I dou't believe in a feller difliug in and learning all there is to learn, and not leltiug other folks have a chance. There's kits of other lolka in this world besides me, and I am't going to be a hog mid try to learn all ttiere is to learn." After a minute he went on: "Don't I know 'null now? Three times two are six, four limes five are twenty, aud lour and four are eight. That's aa correct as I could get 'em il I weut to school for a hundred years. And don't I know bow to spell! C-a-t is 'cat' the world over, and I'll bet on it every time. H-e-u spells 'hen,' UDd I know it as well as il I weighed a ton." He rose up to throw a atone at a dog across the street, and alter resuming resum-ing his scat, be went on: "Jogerly kinder wrestles mo down, but I duu't go much on jogery. What do I care whether an island is entirely surrounded by water. Or whether there ain't any water within ten miles of it? S'pose I'm going to buy and sell inlands for a living? I don't care wjfrju is me highest mountain or the longest river de I? I'm going to keep a leed store, and when I'm rolling bales o' hay around, will I care about mountains and rivers? I've heard the boys go on about exports and imports, and straits, and seas, and capes, but what's them to me? Il a feller wants a bag o' oats, is he going to wait and ask me when the Inland of Madagascar Madagas-car was discovered?" He carefully examined the big toe of his leit foot and the heel of bis right foot, and gloomily observed : "The old folks aro making ready to puBh me into scnoul, and I've got to make ready to keep out. I can't take to bcdooI, somehow. I could sit here and study all day, but the minute I git into a school-house I'm nervous. Something's going to happen hap-pen to me this week. I'll he taken home iu a wheel-barrow with a big gash in thii heel, or this toe almost cut otF. That will me in four weeks on a crutch, and they don't allow lame boys to go to school and crutch up and down the aisles. Or, epos in I go home with palpitation ot the heart? The eld lady has had it, nnd I won't more than get into the house before Bke'll have me lucked upon the luunge, tho camphor bottle down, currant jelly and sponge cake iu the distance, aud she'll cull out to the old gent: " 'Father, it's uo use ol thinking ol sending ibis boy to schjol. Ho luu ks stout and heallby, buL he's a mere shudder. The close atmosphere ot the school-room will kill him belore snow flies.' " The boy rose up. There was a grin all over his face, and he chuckled: "Palpitation is the key note! A sore too can he eeeu a palpitating heart ia hidden away under bide and fat and ribs. Now theu oosh Woosh, u-m-:u m hold yer breath, roll yer eyes, kit out yor left let; and make her bob around like a fly on u hot stove cover." ' |