The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-10-16
fEe1k.s Bad BOZ.
The Boy Tells About His Pa and
the Mintster--AlsO About Get. ,
ting On the Wrong Road. 60

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! "Say, yo1 think OF about everything |
mean that is going, don't you 2" said |
the grocery man 70 the, bad boy, as. he |
came in to show that his black eye had
been cured. aThe minister explained
to me yesterday how you caused him
and your father to lay and soke in the
water for about three hours, one hot
day last summer, in the lake. and they
both blistered their backs. The minis
ter says the skin has not stopped peel,
ing on bis shoulders yet. What caused
you 10 plsy such mean trick on themir
80 it 4ssv their own fault" said the
boy, as he looked With disdain ON .
watermelon that was out Of season, and
had no charms in October. "You see,
the night the sociable vas at our house,
the minister and SIS yes
SOME or THE DEACoNs
wete up IN my room. which they used
that night for 9 smoking room, and
while they were smoking they were
telling stories about what fnn they had
when they we're boys. and I remember
one story the minister told aboat find
ing some girls in swimming once, and
stealing their clothes, and making them
wait till night, and then girl had to ix
herself up with newspapers and 60 home
and send wagon alter the rest of the
girls. The minister thought 1T vas aw-
ful cunning, so when the church bad the
picnic last summer on the bank OF the
lake, I remembered about it. Beats all,
don't 1t, how boy will remember any
thing like that? Well, after dinner
saw pa whisper to the. minister, and
they took q couple OF towels and piece
OF soap. and started of up the lake
about half mile, and knew they we're
going in swimming. Well. it don't
take me very long to catch on. / got
an overdress that one OF the gi,ls bad
heen wearing to wash dishes, and .
shawl, and stole hat belonging to the
choir, and red parasol that girl left
under tree, and ] went down in the
woods and put on the clothes over my
pants and things, aud when
PA AND TIE MINISTER
bad got 10 the water and were SWIM
ming around, I put up the parasol and
tripped along the shore like girl pick-
ing flowers, and when I came to the
stump where they put THEFT clothes I
didn't look toward the water, but acted
tired, and sat down on the stump and
began to fan myself. You'd 9 diie to
see pa look. He crawIed up on the
beach, 10 the shallow water, and said |:
Elder, do you see thst?" The elder
looked, with hisself ell under water ex-
cept his head, and sail; sMerci 'ul good
ness, Squire, we are 10 for it. That
interesting female is going to sit there
and read q novel through before she
goes away Ipeeped through the fan
and could see all they said, while I pre-
tended to read q novel. They swan
around and made a noise, but l was
deaf, and / thought it wasn't any worse
for me to sit on the stump than it was
for the mirister, when. he was q Title
boy, to steal the clothes OF the girls. |
stayed until I got tired, and didn't hear
them when they hollered to me to GO
away, and after q while they got wafer
soaked, and had to do something, so the
minister broke off pieca OF . tree and
dressed himself in 1t, and came up to-
wards me and said Madame, excuse
me for troubling you, but if you will go
away While get my clothes, will take
it as favor I.pretended to be insult-
ed. and got up and walked off very In
dignaut, and vent back to the picnic
and returned the clothes, and pretty
soon they came up, looking as red as i:
they had been drinking, and the picnic
vas ready to 60 home. =
soMEDoDY TOLD Pa
it was me, bnt don't know who il was
that give it away. Anyway he chased
me clear out Of the woods with piece
Of sapling. That was the sine told
you I was too tired to ride. and walked
home from the picnic. Pa has forgiven
me. but | don't believe the minister ever
will. Don't yon think some of these
pious folks are awful anforgivin s..
80. people are not all as good IS you
and are. said the grocery man as he
watched the boy making sneak on q
bunch OF grapes. '.Bat did yoz 60 to
the circus ?"
"Circusf Well, should assimilate
And il il wonder I am not there yet.
But whatever you do. don't ask pa il be
was at the circus, cause be will kill you
You see pa and l 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 sfter they had gone, We start
ed to drive home. It was darker than q
squaw's pocket. and / drove out on the
race-track, and The horse -.
USED TO BE RACER,
and be picked up his ears. Pa took the
lines and said he would drive, cause We
we're out pretty late, and ma would be
nervous. told pa I didn't believe he
was on the right road. but he said be
guessed nobody could fool him about
che road {, town, and bless me II be
didn't drive around that track about
eight times. Every time We passed the
grand stand, which pa couldn't see, on
account CT his ewes, | LATED, but ]
thought il be knew the road so con
founded veil / could ride as long he
could. After We had rode around the
track about eight miles, and was get.
ting sleepy. mildly suggested that may
be We had better stop at house and
inquire the way to town. and pa goi
mad and asked me il I took him for 9
fool. Then he drove around . couple
OF times more, aud man that keeps the
track he came out with lantern and
said 'hello!' 80
PA STEPPED
and asked him what he wanted and b.
said, %, nothin, and pa drove on ant
told him to mind his business. We wen
around the track again, and when W
got to the same place the man was there
and guess pa thought il wss time Il
inquire the way, SO be pulled up ant
asked the man Whist he was doing there
and the man said he was minding hi
own business. Pa asked him il We wer
on the tight road to town, and the ma
said il We wasn't in any hurry be woul
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