Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1867-05-16
The Bad Little BOy-A Cal
ifOrnia Story. on

MARK TWAIN, the California humor'
ist, tells the following story of the
bad little boy: ~. ''
Once there was bad little boy whose
name was Jim-th though if you will no.
tice, you will find that bad little boys are
nearly all called James in your Sunday
School books, 1t was very strange, but
still it was true, that this one was called
Jim. He didn't have aby sick mother
either-a sick mother who was pious and
had the consumption, and would be glad
to lie down in the grave and be at rest,
but for the strong love she bore her boy
and the anxiety she felt that the world
would be harsh and cold toward him,
when she was gone, Most of the bad
boys in the Sunday School books are
Damod James, and have sick mothers to
teach them to say, Nov l lay me down
to sleep, etc., ana sing them to sleep with
sweet plaintive voices, and kiss them
good night, and kneel down by the bed.
side and prey. But it was different with
this fellow. He was named Jim, and
there wasn't anything the matter with
his mother-no consumption or anything
Of that kind. She was rather stout than
otherwise, and she was not pious; more
over, she was not anxious on Jims &C.
count; she said if he we're to break his
neck, it wouldn'E be much loss she
always spanked him to sleep, and she
never kissed him good night; on the
contrary, she boxed his ears when she
was ready to leave him.
Once this little bad boy stole the key
to the pantry, and slipped in there and
helped himself to some jam, and filled
the vessel with tar, SO that his mother
wouldn't know the difference; but all al
once a terrible feeling didn't come ovel
him, and something didn't seem to whis'
per to Lin, is it right to disobey my
mother2 Isn't il sinful to do this i
Where do little boys go to who gobble uL
their good, kind mothers jam2' And
then he didn't kneel down all alone and
promise never to be wicked any more
and rise up with light, happy heart
and 90 and tell his mother all about it
and beg her fOrgiviuess, and blessed by
her with tears of pride and thankfulness
in her eyes. No; that is the way with
all other bad boys in the books, but il
happened otherwise with this Jim,
strangely enough. He, ate the jam, and
said it was bully, in his sinful, vulgar
way; and he put in the tar, and said that
was bully too, and laughed, and observed
that the 'old woman would get up and
snort, when she found it out, and when
she did find it out he denied knowing
anything about il, and she whipped him
severely, and he did the crying himself.
Everything about this boy was curious
everything turned out differently with
him from the way it does with the bad
Jameses in the Books. Once he climed
up Farmer Acorn's apple tree TO steal
apples, and the limb didn't break, and he
didn't fall down and break his arm, and
get torn by the farmers great dog. and
then languish on sick bed for weeks
and repent and become good. Oh, no ;
he stole as many apples as he wanted, and
came down all right, and he was all ready
for the dog, too, and knocked him end
ways with q rock when he came to tear
him! fai aT g gossat. I k-
IL was very strangs--noihins like il