Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 12377-h.htm or 12377-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/3/7/12377/12377-h/12377-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/3/7/12377/12377-h.zip) THE COURT OF BOYVILLE By William Allen White Author Of The Real Issue, etc. Illustrated by ORSON LOWELL (with the exception of the first story, the illustrations for which are by GUSTAV VERBEEK). 1898 CONTENTS PROLOGUE THE MARTYRDOM OF "MEALY" JONES A RECENT CONFEDERATE VICTORY "WHILE THE EVIL DAYS COME NOT" JAMES SEARS: A NAUGHTY PERSON MUCH POMP AND SEVERAL CIRCUMSTANCES "THE HERB CALLED HEARTS-EASE" Where is Boyville? By what track May we trace our journey back; Up what mountains, thro' what seas By what meadow-lands and leas, Must we travel to the bourne Of the shady rows of corn That lead down to the Willows Where the day is always morn? ILLUSTRATIONS "Say, boys, where's its bottle?" The three boys were scuffling for the possession of a piece of rope He saw Abe catch Jimmy and hold his head under water He felt his father's finger under his collar and his own feet shambling Mrs. Jones stooped to the floor and took her child by an arm His feet hanging out of the back of the wagon that had held the coffin His luck was bad He withdrew from the game and sat alone against the barn As she turned to her turkey-slicing The new preacher, for whom the party was made The first long dress "Dickey, Dickey, for gracious sake, keep still" "Did you know my dad was a soldier?" During the next two hours the boy wandered on the prairie "Mary Pennington, aged two years, three months, and ten days" Piggy went to get his flying hat She stroked his hand and snuggled closer to him Miss Morgan smiled happily at the clouds Chased the little girls around the yard with it She would not have invited Harold Jones to sit and sing with her during the opening hour Harold Jones To study his tastes ... The comradeship ... was beautiful to see The red-headed Pratt girl He could only snap chalk in a preoccupied way and listen to his Heart's Desire Piggy was piling up the primary urchins in wiggling, squealing piles He watched the teacher's finger crook a signal for the note to be brought forward ... fought boys who were three classes above him ... whipped groups of boys of assorted sizes Over his mother's shoulders Piggy saw the hired girl giggle Her son ate rapidly in silence His cleanliness pleased his mother and she boasted of it to the mothers of other boys A little maid in a black-and-red check Piggy sat on the front porch, and reviewed the entire affair It began when his Heart's Desire had fluttered into his autograph album At this important bit of repartee His heart was full of bitterness Throwing sticks in the water to scare the fish A crawler, a creeper, a toddler, a stumbler, and a sneaker James