Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-10-23
THE BAD BOY.

came in to show that his black eye had
been cured. 1.-THE minister explained to
me yesterday how you caused him and
your father to lay and soak in the water
for about three hours, one hot day last
summer, in the l. Ike, and they both bis
tered their backs. The minister says
the skin has not stopped peeling off his
shoulders yet. What caused youI to. play
such mean trick on them ?"
20, il was their own fault said the
boy, as he looked with disdain on wa
termelon that was out of season, and had
no charm in October. "You see, the
night the sociable was at our house, tie
minister and some of the descons were
up in my room, which they used that
night for smoking room, and while they
were smoking they were telling stories
about what fun they had when they were
boys, and remembered one story the
minister told about finding some girls in
swimming once, and stealing their clothes,
and making them wait till night, and
then a girl had to fix herself up with
newspapers and go home and send wag-
on after the rest Of the girls. The min
lister thought he was awful cunning. so
when the church had the picnic last sum-
mer on the bank Of the lake, | remem-
bered about it. Beats all, don't it how
boy will remember any thing like that I:
Well, after dinner saw pa whisper to
the minister, and they took couple OF
towels and piece OF soap, and started
off up the lake about half mile, and |
knew they were going in swimming.
Well, it don't take me very long to catch
on. | got an overdress that one of the
girls had been wearing to wash dishes,
and a shawl, and stole a hat belonging
to the soprano Of the choir, and red
parasol tina, a girl lef, under tree, and
| went down in the woods and put on
the clothes, over my pants and things.
and when pa and the minister had got
in the water and were swimming around,
put up the parasol and tripped along
the shore like girl picking flowers, and
when came TO the stump where they
put their clothes | didn't look toward the
water, but acted tired, and sat down on
the stump and began to fan myself.
You'd dide TO see pc look. He crawled
up on the beach, in the shallow water,
and said. Elder, do you see that The
elder looked with hisself all under water
except his head, and said, 'Merciful good
ness, square, we are in for it. That in
eres,ing female is going to sit there and
read a novel through before she goes
away peeked through the fan and
could see all they sail, while pretended
TO read novel. They swan around,
and made noise, bu, was deaf. and
though, it WASH, any worse for me to sit
on the stump than j, was for the minis
ter, when he Was good little boy, to
steal the clothes of the girls. | stayed
until go. tired, and didn't hear them
when they hollered for me to 20 away,
and after a while they got water soaked,
and had to do something. SO the minister
broke off piece Of tree and dressed
himself in it. and came up toward me,
and said, Madam excuse me for troub-
ling you, but if you will 70 away while
| get my clothes, will take it as a ia
vor.' | pretended to be insul,ed, and got
up and walked of very indignant, and
went back to the picnic and returned the
clothes, and pretty soon they came up,
looking as red as il they had been drink
ing, and the picnic was ready to 90 home.
Somebody told pa It was me, but don't
know who it was that gave i, away.
Anyway, he chased me clear out Of the
woods with apiece Of sapling. Tha;
was the time told you | was too tired
to ride, and walked home from the pic
mic Pa has forgiven me, but | don't
believe the minister ever will. Don,
you think some Of these pious folks are
awful unforgivin' :"
"Oh, people are not all as good as you
and are" said the grocery man, as he
watched the boy make sneak on bunch
Of grapes. "But did you not go to the
circus"
Circus, Well should assimilate.
And it is a wonder am not there yet.
But whatever you do don't ask pa if he
was at the circus, cause be will kill you.
You see pa and | drove up to the race
track, where the circus was, in the even.
ing. and after the circus was out, we
waited to see the men take the tents
down, and after they had gone, we star
ted TO drive home. 1t was darker than
a squaw's pocket, and l drove out on the
race track, and the old horse used to be
racer and he picked up his ears. Pa
took the lines and said he would drive,
cause we were out late, and ma would
be nervous. l told pa didn't believe
he was on the right road, but he said he
guessed nobody could fool him about the
road to town. and bless me IL he didn't
drive around that track about eight times.
Every time we passed the grand stand,
which pa couldn't see, on count of his
eyes, lated, but l thought if he knew
the road so COMPOUNDED well ! could ride
as long as he could. After we had rode
around the track about eight miles, and
l was getting sleepy, mildly suggested
that maybe we had better stop at house
and inquire the way to town, and pa got
mad and asked me if took him for
fool. Then he drove around couple Of
times more, and then the man that keeps
the track he came out with lantern and
said 'hello!' Pa stopped and asked him
what he wanted and he said, %, nothin',
and pa drove on and told him to mind
bis business. We went around the track