American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-06-06
VOL. NXIV.

sent to his room in disgrace, they won
| let me play with the boys, nor even look
| at the girls, nor eat when I'm hungry
nor nothingi This is mean old world
| I'll run away and go to sea,' With boys
| resolution and action are twin brothers.
Andy girded himself to dodge down
stairs the moment he could elude his Wig
liant parents.
| And, as he meant to run away in good
| style and according to the letter of story
| books, he felt il incumbent upon him tC
write letter of farewell to his family
Now Andy had once been constrained to
write an epistle of duty to the unfortunate
| gentleman who had stood godfather to
| him at his christening, on which occa
| sion he had recourse to an old letter-b book
in his fathers library. So he now fiat
tered himself he was equal to a heart
rending testament, and, finding a stumpy
pencil, he sat down and wrote, fragments
| of the letter-book floating in his mind.
Three-quarters of an hour he spent
upon his work, which, being finished, he
placed under the lid of the Bible he had
received for examining 5000 verses when
his head was younger and tenderer.
Andy pictured to himself. with grim
pleasure, his weeping household stand
ing around its head, who would, between
many sobs, read the following note:
Dear Parents: hav run ava and you wont
never see me More you hav bin very Harsch
and tirannicle when am off making Mummy praps
you Will repent thy undutiful conduck.
obedyent servant Andrew Jackson perkins.
Before the evening gas was lighted he
struck out and attempted to set his face
seawarG. But Andy's geographical knowl-
edge was limited; he wished he had con-
suited map before he started, for he
knew not which way to turn. He, more
over, regretted sincerely not having filed
his pockets with cookies. 1t was a No
vember night, and andy hadn't been al
lowed to partake of the evening repast.
He will remember that night. l think
see the dear boy wandering up and
down, blowing bravely on his red fingers,
watching the flaring gas jets, putting a
fist into his eye occasionally. He saw
life that night.
1t did not appear he could realize his
MUMMY Immediately. Before ten the
boy spirit was cooled. lie stole back to
his fathers door, but had not courage to
ring. Then he wondered how he could
stand it out all night. Here and there
rambled Andy.
He stood in the shadow ofthe doorway
(evadins policeman) of the house where
Miss May lived. Miss May was a young
LADY, whom he specially admired. He
felt a strong desire to see her that even
ing.
And as he stood, crying silently, like a
little soldier, because he was SO cold he
could hardly stand it, the door opened and
a gentleman emerged whom Miss May
babe a lingering and really attectionate
good light.
She stood an instant watching her lover
before she closed the door, and in this in
slant Andy exploded with big sob.
After screaming, as all orthodox young
ladies do, Miss May recovered herself and
drew the child in.
Here is a sacred picture in Andy's life.
He will never tell anyone how happy he
was one hour, sitting in the heart of a
warm room at Miss Mays feet taking his
supper and unloading his heart to her.
She was a woman who loved and under
stood boys; their brusquerie, their heavy
antics, their overplus of spirits never
made her nervous" She had helped To
bring up several boys creditably and joy
ously, and was now about to try her hand
on somebody else's brother.
IF they'd only let me be-" stuffing I'M
limited tarts into his mouth, but L never
can do nothing!"
Miss May smoothed the brown hand
which Andy, in a gush of confidence,
yielded 10 her your slurdiest boys have a
sneaking fondness for being pettedD, and
as she gazed into the CRATE she fretted
within herself" Why is it that parents
will drive these baby-men desperate; that
teachers will try to cram them-will sit
on the safety-valve of their natures wish
1 had all the boysi I'd make boys par
adise! They should walk on their ears
if they wanted, but they should likewise
know the best use of their ears. They
should live their honest, joyous hearts
out; and never learn TO sneak, TO lie, TO
whine, to cant, to ape Miss Nancy, TO sac
rifice their sense of right and wrong TO the
mere pleasing of some other person, Oh,
I'd-"
And here the proverb about maids
children and bachelors wives came into
her mind. She laughed alold and
stopped to kiss Andy. 1t was such a
hearty, wholesome kiss that he took it
without sheep-facedness.
1t was decided that, AS his parents be-
lieved him asleep in his own bower, they
should not be notified Of his running
away, and that night Andy slept in Miss
Mays house.
Early next morning he laid hand on
the note which was to have fallen like a
thunderbolt on his people and sent it to
oblivion. He walked as circumspectly
as Andy could. But a Micawber-likc fit
of letter-writing seemed to have seized
him Though he could fly to his COM
forter when trouble lowered, and though
she never denied him a personal inter
view, Andy sought Il pen, with which he
hacked the English language and split
ink like black gore upon large cap
sheet.
His honest little heart spouted forth TO
the one who appreciated and helped him
Dear Miss May: didcnt get licked all day and
had my oggerfy just hockey good touched my
cap TO old mis- pease and mama sed that looked
better than runnin her like i always did
love yon If goin to get married wood marry you.
your obedyent servent
Andrew Jackson perkins.
-Locke's National W0nthiy.
YOUNG lady of respectable parentage,
living near Carlisle, Ind, made for
tunate escape from tickle marriage re-
Gently. She was engaged to be married
to young man, and every preparation
was being made for the wedding. The