The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-07-28
Mamma Knew Best,

You see, | thought I knew batto.
than mamma, but L don't think So no,s
Bill Shaw says mothers are all RIVAL
to see about things to wear, and f.
have things baked. and take care -
you when you're sick. But OF corrsa
they can't be expected to know whats
good for boys, because they never were
boys themselves. | thought Bill knaw
all about it, but I don't think thar
either, now. 80
l wanted revolver .awfully. Re.
volver is grown-up for pistol Bin SAID
every big boy ought to have one. anaIr
am big boy. I'm to have long uants
next winter, and never wear knee Rants
any more. ! asked mamma to let me
have a revolver, but she said no. Bill
said, 9. OF course She say no.r 80.
My Uncle Frank that's soldier. I
heard him say one time it was a yerv
good thing for man to know all about
drilling and firearms and things be.
cause then if there's a war. YOU. oet
permoted. Firearms means guns and
revolvers and hre-crackers and rockets, I,
Everybody says boys ought to learn
things young. That's why they send
boys to school.
i told papa thought I'd better learn
firearms young, and ought to have a,
revolver. But he laughed and said
there was plenty of time yet. They
don t say that when they set q bow d
learn the multiplication table.
Bill told me he knew place whers
they get revolvers cheap. It was q
ninety-nine cent store. and he talked and
talked till | got my gold dollar out ofmy
bank, and him and me went to get d
revolver. We got it. 1t was. shiny, 8
but ninety-nine cents is most as much
as a dollar. and / only got one cent
back and my dollar was gone.oseTiu
Me and Bill went into the lot behind
the barn and he showed me how you
do it. You just stick, in some little i
things in some little. holes, and then
you pull up little thing, and then yoti
turn something round, and then you
hold it up, and pull down a little thing
and it goes off-bang! and that's shoot
ing. That's the way men shoot.
Bill shot first, and twas jolly, / tell !
you. You'd a. thought twas the
Fourth of July if you'd heard It. Then
he liked it for me to shoot. He stuck
up piece of white paper for me too
shoot, and he stood off to one side and z
said, one, two. three. fire.. pulled the 4
little thing just as he told me, but it
wasn't a bit ike thought it would be. 1
heard Bill holler. and then itseemedy
as IT the sun came tearing down
and knocked me over and stamped on !
me, and then l didn't think anything
more for a great while.
was in bed when | began to think
again. Something was around my head
and SC netting else around my arm
My am hurt when | moved it, and
somebody said ] mustn't move it. !
went to sleep again, and then / woke
lp, and then | said. a.s5ss f.a4s asa
where's my revolver and Bill?"
Mamma said Bill had got well, and
she said the revolver had burst in my,
hand and hurt my arm and head like
everything, and the load part of there
7olver had hit Bill in the leg. She said
was because it was cheap revolver,
Ind because Bill didn't know how to
TX 'em, and little bows ought not to
NeS' y hAStttAAos JlC hiSoCu lllt cfcE ekl n
many times, and saw tears come, and
hats the time | began to think mothers
70 know what's good for boys. i.
think SO more and more. had to
le st II ever so long, and when a boy,
ant do anything else,, he does lots OF ,
linking. e
couldn't go to school. | always
sed to think twould be splendid not
o. but it wasn't. When l could get up,
ny arm was in sling, and there WAS ~
lack patch on my forehead.
When Decoration Day came couldn't
o to the doings and see the cannons
red. nor buy popcorn and soda Sat-
rdays | couldn't go after wild flowers
nd fishing. | haven't PLAYED marbles
nee this spring, nor made a kite. iIea
ayen't got any gold dollar in my Fl
ank.
There's going to be a great big scar
ways on my forehead.
All that's because I thought Iknew
lore than mamma.--Sydaey DGyre, in
louth's Companion.
A Pleasant ssGood Morning. AIS