Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-04-14
Jimmy" CongratulateS Himself.

For once have done right. ! always
tried to do what was right, would hit
it some day; bat al last pretty nearly
gave up adj hope, and was beginning TO
believe that no matter what | did. some
Uf the grown-up folks would tell me
that my conduct was such. But ] have
done n real useful thing that WAS Just
what father wanted. and he has
said that he would overlook it this
time. Perhaps you think that this was
not very encouraging to boy; but if
You had been told to come up stairs
with me my son as often as | have
been, Just because you had tried to do
suit people, you would be very glad to
hear Your father say that for once he
would overlook it.
Did you ever play YOU were a ghost?
/ don't think much of ghosts. and
wouldn't be bit afraid if I was TO
See one. There was once ghost that
used to frighten people dreadfully by
hanging himself to Il hook in the wall.
He was one Of those tall white ghosts,
and they are the very worst kind there
is. This one used to come into the
spare bedroom of the house where he
lived before he was dead. and after
walking round the room. and making
as if he was in dreadfully low spirits.
he would take Il rope out of his pocket.
and hang himself to Il clothes-hook just
opposite the bed. and the person who
was in the bed would faint away with
fright, and pull the bedclothes over his
head. and lie in the most dreadful ago
ny until morning. when he would get
up, and people would say: '.Why how
dreadful you look your hair is all gray
and you are whiternany sheet" One
time man came to stay 1T the house
who wasn't afraid of anything, and he
said: {" Ill fix that ghost of yours; I'm 4
terror on wooden wheels when any
ghosts are around. am" SO he was
put to sleep in the room. and before he
went to bed he loosencd the hook, 20
that it would come down very easy.
and then he sat up in bed and read till
twelve o clock. just when the clock
struck, the ghost came in and walked
up and down rs usual, and finally got
out his rope and hung himself; but as
soon as he kicked away the chair he
stood on when he hung himself. down
caTe the hook. and the ghost fell all in
heap on the floor, and sprain"d his
ankle, and got up and limpe'l away,
drcadfully ashamed. and nobody ever
ssw him again.
Father has been having the front gar
den walk fixed with an askfelt pave
mcnt. Askfelt is something like mo-
lasses, only four times rs sticky when
it is new. After while it grows real
hard. only ours hasn't grown very hard
yet. watched the men put il down,
and father said: "Be careful and don
step on it until it gets hard or you'll
stick fast in it and can't ever get out
again. I'd like to see half dozen med
dlesome boys stuck in it and serve them
right" As soon as heard dear father
mention what he'd like, determined
that he should have his wish. for there
is nothing that is more delightful to 4
good boy than to please his father
That afternoon mentioned to two or
three boys that knew were pretty bad
BOYS that our melons were ripe, and that
father was going To pick them in day
or two. The melon patch is at the back
of the house, and after dark | dressed
myself in one of mothers night gowns,
and hid in the wood-shed. About eleven
O'Clock l heard Il noise. and looked out
and there were six boys coming in the
back gate, and going for the melon
patch. | waited till they were just
ready to begin, and then | came out and
said, in hollow and protuberant voice
"Bewarer
They dropped the melons. and started
to run. but they couldn't get to the
back gate without passing close to me
and knew they wouldn't try that Sc
they started to run round the house tt
the front gate, and | ran after them.
When they reached the new front walk
they seemed to stop all of a sudden, and
two or three of them fell down. didn',
wait to hear what they had to say, but
went quietly back and got into the
house through the kitchen window, and
went up stairs to my room. I could
hear them whispering, and now and ther
one or two of them would cry a little
but thought it wouldn't be honorable
to listen to them, 50 went 70 sleep.
In the morning there were five boy.
stuck in the askfelt, and frightened
most to death. l got up early, anC
called father, and told him that ther,
seemed to be something the matter will
his new walk. When no came out ant
saw five boys caught in the pavement
and an extra pair. of shoes that belong
cd to another boy who had wriggled ou
of them and gone away and left them
he was the most astonished man yol
ever saw. told him how had caugh
the boys stealing melons. and had played
l was ghost and frightened then
away, and he said that if I'd help thu
cOachman pry the boys out, he woul(
overlook it. So he sat upon the piazz;
and overlooked the coachman and m,
while we pried the boys out, and they
came out awfully hard, and the askfel
is full of pieces of trousers and things
1 don't believe it will ever be hand
some walk; but whenever father looks a
it he will think what good boy have
been, which will give him more pleasure
than hundred new askfelt walks. -
"Jin,Aly " Br0Wn," tn Harper'S Ioun.
People.
The richest person to-day upon tn,
Sandwich Islands is Claus Spreckles, O
Honolulu. A few years ago he wa
laughed at when he purchased l0.O0'
acres of land for ten cents an acre, n
the tract was at the foot of an extinc
volcano. and covered with a crust oI
the surface like 4 tlagstone walk. H,
broke up this crust, mixed the dust will
q small quantity of vegetable mould
thoroughly irrigated the soil thus formed
and planted sugar cane. To-day he is
millionaire.
"A man in Omaha blew on lung
tester, and broke it all to smithereens
And the owner of the machine eazed a
him sadly and said: If I'd known vol
We're Chicago drummer. L d have seer
you in hades before I'd have let you a
that Boston Post.
Mr.. Ashmead Bartlett is, accordin.
10 Buckle, one man in thirty thousand
for that, according to him, is the proper
ton which men marrying women oil,
enough TO bo their grandmothers bea
| to the population.