The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-03-14
The Story of an Ingenious but Baffied
Small Boy.


put away small-boyish things, and to
put on the bashful awkwardness of semi
intelligent boyhood At all events, he
ought to know that his presence is not
desired by young men who come to see
his sister. We do not expect this
amount of intelligence in the small-boy,
and it is often necessary to bride him
with candy or to persuade him with clubs
before he viii consent to treat his sister
with common humanity but the To-
year-old boy usually perceives when an
area OF counting, accompanied with
gradually increasing pressure in the
region of the waist and marked depres-
sion of-the parlor gas, is about to setin,
and thereupon discreetly, even sheer
ingly, withdraws.
Master Henry T. Johnson, of War
rensburg, Ill.,, is a boy who has just
who is remarkably clever in the inven-
ton of traps. If you were to ask him
to make you any varity of trap, from a
rat-trap to man-trap, he would satisfy
your demand with promptness and skill.
His fathers premises, both inside and
| out, is infested with traps, and there is
no style of animal inhabihng Warrens-
burg that has not been caught in one of
these traps. One morning, early IN
January, it is confidentaly asserted that
no less than two cats, a tramp, small
dog, six chickens, and three small boys
were found in Mr.. Johnson's yard in
the close embrace of a corresponding
number of traps. The truth is the boy
has real mechanical genius, and it is a
great pity that he is so totally lacking
in modesty and regard for the rights
of others.
Last fall a young man who had met
Master Johnson's sister at picnic and
escorted her home, was seized with a
great admiration of Master Johnson's
traps, and evinced great fondness for
that ingenious boys society. In fact,
he engaged the boy to give him series
of lessons in trap-making, and seemed
to throw his soul into rat-traps. Grad
ually this passion began to fade, and the
young man, instead VI studying traps in
the back yard, formed the habit of rest
ing himself-as he called tin the
parlor with Master Johnson's sister
| The boy, of course, could not consent
to hurt his friends feelings by abandon
ing him to the society of a mere girl,
and, therefore, followed him into
the parlor, and monopolized the
conversation. After time the young
man openly abandoned traps, and
only visited the house in the evening !;
but Master johnson, mindful of the laws
of hospitality, always spent the evening
in the parlor, and more than once apollo
gized to his friend for the silence and
general uselessness of his sister. His
establishment, when on one eventful
evening the young man, with the full
appreciation of his sister, deliberately
told him to .sget out,n and informed
him that if he had not sense enough to
know that he was a nuisance, he would
try to knock sense into him with q base
ball club, can not be expressed in words.
Not only did he wonder at the unscien-
tific idea that sense can be impaired
with baseball club, but he could not
comprehend the young mans sudden
dislike of his once-courted society.
However, he promptly withdrew, and
devoted himself to schemes of swift and
deadly vengeance.
For the next week Master johnson
spent a large part of his time in the par
lor with the doors locked, alleging that
he was perfecting a new invention, and
that his intellect could not work except
in quiet and seelusion. Strange as it
may appear, he told the truth. He was
perfecting new kind of trap intended
for the benefit of the rude young man
and his unnatural sister. The former
was accustomed to sit in large easy
chair, and the latter in small and fra
gile rocking-chair on the opposite side
of the room. To each of these chairs
the boy affixed most ingenious trap,
which was concealed underneath the
seat, and was SO contrived as to be
sprung. by the weight of any person
who might sit in the chair. If the
young man, for example, were to
sit down in his accustomed
chair, he would be instantly
clasped around the waist by pair OF
iron arms, while two other iron clasps
would seize him by the ankles. A like
result would follow any attempt of the
sister to seat herself in the rocking
chair, and it was Master Johnson's in
tention, after having caught his game,
to leave them in close confinement, and
to then read them a severe lecture upon
their rudeness.
The young man was due on the next
Saturday evening, and Master johnson
set his new traps at precisely Z :35 p IN.
AT 40 the young man arrived, and
Master johnson ostentatiously marched
out of the front gate just as the young
man rang the front door-bell An hour
passed, and the revengeful boy returned
and listened at the parlor-door, expect
ing to hear low walls of agony. On the