Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-11-22
BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA, NOVEMBER 49, 1879. 81
BILL sLIKE ACTING DEVIL.

BILL sLIKE ACTING DEVIL.
When we were boys, Bill Slike and
], we were great cronies. With me
there was nobody like Bill, and with
Bill there was nobody like Hazel.
We were both what would be termed
hard cases. 1fnny mischief was done
In tho neighborl,0od, Bill and were
sure to come In for our share Of tho
blame.
About Christmas times We always
had q deal offun, such as building
rail pens and putting calves and pigs
IN the upper story, hanging plows,
pig Kettles or anything we could
lny hands Oh, high mp In trees, to per-
pick the owners.
| recollcct one Christmas eve, Bill
and rot out to have u rich time Of it..
BIZ was 70 fix up, and act ~ devil,
and We were ~ 70 around and fright
en- tho youngsters out Of their wits.
Accordingly, We arranged y grum-
looking red cap with horns on II, and
placed It upon his head, and then
made u false face for him out Of red
J flannel, wrapped him In q white
sheet, and started. There were sev-
eral boys with us, and by them ! WIS
unanimously elected to 90 before
and give tho Old folks ut each house
q hlUt Of what WAS going on, no TINT
We would not get ourselves into y
scrape.
The FIRST house In our route was
Uncle Jake Bonds. l went IN, made
some errand, and ~ soon ~ possible,
slipped the Joke to the old man and
woman. It was all right with them,
and 80 I went on and reported to my
companions. In II short time Bill,
alias devil, pokcd his singular looking
head in at the door and great scrump-
ton such Settlement ns took
place. Girls, boys, cats and every
thing else, excepting the two old
ones, tombled up stairs like an earth
quake. In we all hustled, and such u
laugh M We had ; and how the girls
slapped our faces for frightening
them 80 buddy. This was q glorious
beginning, md 80 we were almost
crazy to get to the next house.
| After partaking Of some doughnuts,
md some other little cakes that had
been cut out with u thimble, aud
which the girls called kisses, VIC star-
ted for Major Aliens. went on ~
usual, and knocked at tho door.
Come in, said n sweet voice. l
Obeyed the command and found Jnpe,
the Majors only daughter, al alone.
where's the old folks ? asked |.
Gone over to grandfather's, she re-
piled, sweet rs sugar.
very sorry said I, for ] had i'm
p0rtant business with the old man.
She assured me they would be back
in u short time and filling a plate
with hominy' from large kettle,
where II was boiling on the fire, she
invited me, with ono Of the prcttiest
smiles you over saw, to sit down md
wait till it cooled, aud then eat some
with her.
l looked ut tho big, plumb grains
all bursting open in tho plate, and in
hailed the delicious od0r TINT arose
from them, then l looked ut the sweet
face and sunny smile Of my would-bc-
entertainer, and you'd better believe
] wished Bill and the rest Of the boys
in Guinea. | felt sure That MI the
fun we could see would he nothing
to compare with eating 'hominy'
with Jane Allen, yet dared not net
the traitor. So ! pretended had no
time to spare, aud bidding her good
evening, | hurried back to my COM
panions.
Boys said |, James nil alone by
herself. II wouldn't be right to scare
her 10 bad--lct's go to Browns =
mo, by gum,' said Bill, y would
not miss that chance for u hundred
dollars. She sighted me the other
dry at singing school, and now III
Gndcavor to pay her back for it,
still demonstrated, but in vain,
Bill was rcsolutc, so I had to give in.
Az we neared tho house, Bill said !:
"Now, boys, whatever you do,
don't say II word, nor laugh, nor
nothing, and after I'vo scared her,
we'll slip off, and she'll never know
who, nor what it was.'
We all agreed, and after We had
been stationed around the chimney
to hear her scream, Bill walked in.
Good evening, Mr.. Devil, said the
same sweet voice that few minutes
before had bid me to come in; good
evening. ] suppose you are used to
warm fluids;' and forthwith, We heard
a 'splurgc' as if q gourd had found its
way into the pot Of boiling hominy,
and then came splash and u cry,
not such one as we expected to hear,
but one of Bills genuine squalls on
the highest key. We all ran in and
saw the hot water dripping down
from Bills craninm, while he was
stamping around like madness, tear
ing horned cap and false face from
his head. Jane, the miscellaneous lit
tie elf, was standing up by the cup
board rs though she would go into
spasm. Fortunately, Bill had re-
ceived no lasting injury, but assure
you it put m end to our fun for that
night. The joke had been turned
on us when we least expected it,
and so we went home, feeling rather
done for. The story soon got ont,
and for a long time Bill went by the
name of Mr.. Devil. ..