Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-04-07
What Little Boy Thought About
Things.
ny JomN PAWN.


am little boy about so many years old;
| don't know whether | am good little boy,
but I'm afraid not for | sometimes do wicked
things and once | cut sisters kittens tail off
with the cropping knife and told her big
dog came along aud bit it off, and swallowed
it down before kitty could say Jack Robin
son, and sister said she was sorry and it must
have been a very naughty dog but mother
did not believe me, and said she was afraid |
had told lie, and I'm afraid had So
then she asked me if knew where liars went
to, and | said yes---that they went to New
York and wrote for the newspapers; she said
no-but lake of fire and birthstone and
she asked me if | would like to 90 there, and
| said no, for didn't think there would be
much skating or sliding on the lake, and the
| boys couldn't SNOWFALL either on shore, and
she said it was more than that Just as though
that wasn't bad enough, for don't think they
can play base ball nuther. Then she asked
me if | wouldn't like to be an angel and have
a harp, and | said no, I'd rather be stage
driver and have a big drum for | couldn't
play on t'other thing. So | shouldn't like to
be an angel for their wings must be in the
way when they 60 swimming, and play tag
and leap frog, and besides it must be hard to
| fly when one is not accustomed to it. But it
would be jolly to be a stage-driver, and have
great long whip, and touch up the leaders,
and say, "gloug there what are ye doin'
on2" | should like that much better'n hyin';
and then mother said there was dreadful
stage Of sin, and Bob hollered and said that
he guessed | was on it," and then she
whipped US and sent US to bed without any
supper, but | didn't care for any supper, for
they hadn't nothin' but bread and butter and
tea, and Bob and got up and he lifted me in
at the pantry window, and we got a mince pie
and whole handful of doughnuts, and they
thought it was the cook that stole 'em, and
sent her away the next day, and Bob said he
was glad of it, for she didn't make good pies,
and the doughnuts wasn't fried enough, and
sometimes ! do swear, for | said by golly the
other day, and sister heard me, and she told
mother, and mother said was bad boy and
would bring her gray hairs to the grave, and
she whipped me, but don't think it did her
gray hairs any good, and it hurt me, and
when got up stairs | said gof darn it; !"
but | said it so she didn't hear me, and when
she asked me if | didn't think | was very
wicked, | said ! was afraid i was, and was
sorry for it, and wouldn't DO so any more, and
then she said | was good little boy, and told
me about George Washington, who cut down
the apple tree and was caught at it, and said
he did it with his little hatchet, Just as though
| hadn't heard all about it before, and didn't
always think he was big stupid for cutting
wood when they had hired man about the
house. and dullin' his little hatche'. and beside
it would have been great deal jollier to let
the apple tree be, so as he could have stole
apples off in the fall. don't care if he was
the father of his country, he wasn't smart and
| bet you the boys in our school would cheat
him out OF his cye-teeth swapping jack-knives,
and could lick him and hardly try and |
don't think he was very healthy, either for |
never sec a good boy that wasn't always sick
and had the mumps and measles, and the scar
let fever. and wasn't coughing all the while,
and hadn't to take castor oil, and could not
eat cherries, and didn't have TO have his head
patted till his hair was rubbed off by eyery-
| body that came to his mothers, and be asked
how old he was. and who died to save sinners.
and what he'd been studying at school, and
how far he'd got, and lots of other conun-
drums. and have 10 saw his catechism; no.
wouldn't like to be A good little bow; | lust
as lief be nm angel. and be done with il; |
don't think ever shall be a good little bow.
and other people don't think so, too, for |
wasn't never called a GOOD little boy but once.
and n Al a,as when nv IIncle Job1 asked ma
where stood in nv class, and told himit
was % next 10 the head, and he said that was