St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-08-04
Z THAT BAD BOY.
He PLAYS A JOKE ON HIS Pa AND
GETS LOCKED UP.

Peck's Sun.
Where have you been for week
back ~ asked the grocery man Of the
boy, as the boy pulled the tail board out
OF the delivery wagon accidentally and
let 4 couple of bushels Of potatoes roll
ontintO the gutter. Il haven't seen you
around here, and You look pale. You
haven't been sick, have you ~
No, l have not been sick. Pa
locked me up in the bathroom two days
and nights, and didn't give me nothing
to eat but bread and water. Since he
has got religious he seems to be harder
than ever on me. Say, do you think
religion .softens mans heart, or does
it give him caked breast Tspect pa
will burn me at the stake next"
The grocery man said that when a
man had been truly converted his heart
was softened, and he was always look
ing for chance to do good and be kind
to the poor, but if he only had this gal
vanized religion, this roll-plate piety, or
white-washed reformation, he was liza
BILE to be harder citizen, than before.
what made your pa lock you up in the
bath room on bread and water 2" he
asked
"Well,n said the boy as he eat a
couple of salt pickles out of a jar Oh
the sidewalk, ''pa is not converted en-
ough to hurt him, and knowed it. and
thought it would be good joke to try
him and see # he was 50 eonfounded
good so got my chum to dress up in
Well, you wouldn't believe my chum
would look so much like girl. He
would fool the Oldest inhabitant. He
had to sell his bicycle to slim Teller that
clerks in store, cause he didn't want
it any more. His neck is just as fat
and there are dimples in it. and with a
dress low in the neck and long at the
trail he looks as tall as ma. He bursted
one OF Ills sisters slippers getting them
on, and her stockings We're too big for
him, but he tucked his drawers down in
them and tied a suspender around his
leg above the knee, and they stayed on
all right. Well he looked KILN, /
should prevaricate, with his sisters
muslin dress on, starched as stiff as a
shirt, and her reception hat with a
featheras big as a Newfoundland dogs
tail. Pa said he had got to go down
town to see some of the old soldiers Of
lis re 81 H4ent, and leafed behind My
chum met pa on the corner and asked
him wherPthe Lake Shore Park was.
She said she was stranger from Chica
60, that her husband had deserted her
and she didn't know but she would
jump into the Lake. Pa looked in my
would be sin to commit suicide, and
asked if she didn't want to take walk.
My chum said he should litter, and he
took pas arm and they walked up to
the lake and back. Well. you may
talk about joining the church on proba-
ton all You please, but they get their
arm around a girl all the same. Pa
Rugged my chum till he says he thought
pa would break his sisters corset all to
pieces, and he squeezed my chum's
hand till the ring cut right into his
finger and he has to wear a piece of
court plaster on it. They started for
the Court House Park, as 4 told my
ehum to do, and went and got ma.
Ma just throWed shawl over her head
and we started down through the park.
When we got near pa and my cllum [
told ma it was shame for SO many
people to be sitting around lally-gag-
ging right before folks, and she said
it was disgustin, and then / pointed to
my chum, who had his head on pas
bosom, and pa was patting my chum on
the cheek, while he held his other arm
around his waist. They was on the iron
seat, and we came right up behind them
and wien ma saw pas bald head
thought she would bust. She knew his
head as quick as she set her eyes on it.
My chum asked pa If he was married.
and he said lie was a widower. He said
his wife died fourteen years ago, of
liver complaint. Well, ma shook like
leaf, and I could hear her new teeth
rattle just like chewing strawberries
with sand in them. Then my chum put
lis arms around pas neck and said IF
you love me kiss me in the mouth" Pa
was just leaning down to kiss my chum
when ma couldn't stand it any longer,
md she went around in front Of them,
ind she grabbed my chum by the hair
ind it all came off, hat and all, and my
shum jumped up and ma scratched
Tim in the face, and my chum tried to
get his Hands in his pants pocket to get I
lis handkerchief to wipe off the blood I
~ his nose. Ma she turned On pa and
re turned pale, and then she was going
:or my chum again when he said /: 20,
ct up on feller," and he seen she was
mad and he grabbed the hat and hair
,ff the gravel walk and took the skirt
# his sisters dress in his hand and lit
nut for home in gallop, and ma took
ia by the elbow and said on are a
lice old party, amt youg / am dead,
I'm Il? You will find an animated corpse
N your hands. Around kissing spry
out in the night, sir" When
hey started home pa seemed to be as
weak as a cat, and couldn't say a word,
md / asked could go to the exposition
nd they said | couldI don't know what
after they got home, but pa
e., rs,I,n i hon i