Half-Past Seven Stories

py voices and shuffling feet, to poetry, marches, and songs. They were practising for Commencement, for Closing Day. And at home the parents wer

to speak a whole piece, all alone too. It was a great honor, no doubt

brave lads who were good and great. Probably she wanted them to become good and great, too, and of

re,--the stories were lost on Fatty. Try as he would he never c

s worries. He had been given a piece

too. The piece was called by the boy's name--a queer sort of word--Casabianca. I

id his father that nig

ther s

Will, I'm sure h

to "do anyone proud." That was not his ambition.

arned it all

mething that

nknowna

k from school he had to stay

long a while, either--

arn it a lot better out doo

, "if you're sure you won't

elm and stood under the Oriole's nest. "The boy st

ay it began a

the Turkey, was taking his afternoon parade right near him. Mr. Stuckup di

'"--he be

ble," shriek

on the b

again rudely inter

f the house by the Lilac Bush. He stood

to get down off that deck. But it was only Wienerwurst he was talking to. For, when he made that fine gesture which Teacher had shown

r, and walked over to the Crying Tree, whos

ually got through the first verse all right, and was quite pleased

lo

S! H

e one hiss you when they ought to be clapping their hands. But t

n the lines all over again when Miss Cross Patch the Guinea Hen ran out from behi

-GAWKE'E!-

iscouraging. And, to add to his discomfort, when he tried it again--for the hundredth time

OOO

nted him to stop. An

-NN-N

ain, stuffed some cotton in his ears, and went up in

rang. So he felt he had earned that nice glass of creamy milk, and the big slice of gingerbread, especially the thick c

the Purple Crackles that flew in the fields by the blackberry bushes; the little Gold Finc

h "The boy stood on the burning deck," when a vo

nuts by the

ns too, and Lizzie Fizzletree, all making faces at him and mocking him

. And this is the piece they made of it--you ne

ood on the

anuts by

called, he

loved his p

ehosophat, "that

others together, and they repeated

alled ande

ved 'isp

them what it really was, they kept shouti

alled 'e

ved 'isp

e Fizzletree would make outrageous bows, almost

made over from Father's old trousers, with stiff collars, and ties of red, or blue, or bro

their feet; and then very crossly he decided that those feet spoiled "t

oardofeducation, and all the County Trustees, and the proud parents from near and from fa

inter and rose, and the scholars smoothed their sashes

ry, 'tis

e all about flowers. "The Fringed Gentian," it was called, and it was very pretty. But when Lizzie g

u're and bri'ght That op'ne

ike that, and sometimes her arms looked like the arms of a windmill. And her frizzy pigtails swished around with her arms--just like the sails of a windmill that had suddenly gone mad. The peop

here were speeches by the Presidentboardeducation and the Trustees, who seemed to appreciate the privi

sun was shining nice and warm, and he wondered if he couldn't climb up on his seat, and drop out of the open window, and run away e

od on the bu

e knew it all right. But just then Fatty Hamm,

et the pean

ntion, but the Presidentboardeducation had taken

understand the name and put on his glas

by Je-hos-o-

ud it

ducation was lookin

e said, "where

et had slid down in the crack of the seat, and Fatty

deducation looked over the children in gr

le man, there's noth

"grownups" always put on when they're going to "do something for your

roud," or at his father, either. But he did glance once at the Toyman, who was sitting, looking very uncomfortable, in a boiled shirt and a stiff collar that almost choked

ntboardeducatio

e," again,

t,

coat, and Jehosophat found himself on

Presidentboardeducation--just one little sip--for his throat felt s

ight, and Mother looked at

tty, and Fatty had just put a peanut up to

view la

ew our boy c

gh the first line,--"The boy

and Fatty had just put a peanut up to h

ting the next line, and so having to stick to the first. He coul

burning deck," he call

n the burning de

, still with that smile that Jehosophat hated so, and befor

eanuts by

r called

ovedispe

he almost knocked the pitcher of water off the table. And the teacher's glasses fell off her nose, and she seemed to be unable to find them in her embarrassment--a

w, climbed up on the seat, then on the sill, and dropped on the soft grass

r when he heard s

, So

ed with

t catching up with the runaway. And the

es, the Toyman put his arm around the boy's shoulders,

he cause of Jehosophat's trouble and embarrassment,

ehosophat

e we

-I hate speeches,"

ool of myself, didn'

ld piece of yours and out of date. Now they're making new arrangements and editions of books and po'try all th

sure. But, anyway, they h