Delta chief., 1883-10-17
PECK,s BAD BOY AND HIS PA.
The Boy Tells About his Pa and tho Minis
ter--Also about Getting on tho
Wrong Road.

"Say, you think of about everything
mean there is going, don't you Pr said
the grocery man to the bad boy, as he
came in to show that his black eye had
been cured. .'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 lake, and they
both blistered their backs. The minis
ter says the skin has not stopped peel
ing of his shoulders yet. What caused
you to play such mean trick on them?"
80, it was their own fault" said the
boy as he looked with disdain on a wa
termelon that WAS out of season. and
had no charms in October.a. You see,
the night the sooiable was at our house,
the minister and some of the deacons
were up in my room, which they used
that night for n smoking room, and
while they were smoking they were tell
ing stories about what fun they had
when they were boys, and | remember
one story the minister told about finding
some girls in swimming once. and max
ing them wait till night, and then girl
had to fix herself up with newspapers
and 90 home and send wagon after
the rest of the girls. The minister
thought it was awful cunning, so when
the church had the picnic last summer
on the bank of the lake, remembered
about il. Beats all, don't it. how n boy
will remember anything like that
Well. after dinner ! saw pa whisper TO
the minister. and they took n couple OF
towels and n piece of soap, and started
off up the lake about half mile; and
knew they were going in swimming.
Well. IL don't take me very long to catch
on. got an oyerdress that one of the
girls had been wearing TO wash dishes,
and n shawl, and stole hat belonging
TO the soprano of the choir. and red
parasol that girl left under n tree, and
j 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 l didn't look to-
ward the water. but acted tired and sat
down on the stump and began 10 fan
myself You'd dide TO see pa look.
He crawled up on the beach, in the
shallow water and said, Elder. do you
see thst? The elder looked. with his
self all under water except his head. and
said. "Mercifnl goodness. squire,
we are in for il. That inter-
and read novel through before she
goes away Ipeeked through the fan
and could hear all they said. while
pretended to read novel They swan
around. and made noise. but l was
deaf, and l thought II wasn't any worse
for me to sit on the stump than 1t was
for the minister, when he was n good
little boy, To steal the clothes of the
girls. | stayed until | got tired. and
didn't hear them when they hollercd 10
to me to 20 away, and after while they
got water soaked. and had to do some
thing. so the minister broke of n piece
OF tree and dressed himself in IL, and
came up towards me. and said, Mad
anne. excuse me for troubling you, but
II you will 20 away while ! get my
clothes, win take il as favor pre-
tended TO be insulted. 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 rod ns If they had been drink
ing. and the picnic was ready 10 20
home. Somebody told pa il was me,
but don't know who it was that gave
II away. Anyway he chased me clear
out of the woods with n piece Of sapling.
That was the time told You 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
you think some of these pious folks are
awful unforgivin'p"
30, people are not all as good as you
and are" said the grocery man, AS
he watched the boy making n sneak on
n bunch of grapes. "But did you go to
the circusP"
"Circusp Well l should assimilate.
And II is n wonder | am not there yet.
But whatever you do, don't ask pa II
he was at the circus. cause he will kill
you. You see pa and drove up 10 the
race track. where the circus was. in tho
evening. after the circus was out. we
waited to see the men take the tents
down, and after they had gone, we
started to drive home. II was darker
than u squaw's pocket, and drove out
on the race track. and the old horse
used to be n racer. and he pricked up
his ears. Pm took the lines and said
he would drive, cause we were out
pretty late and ma would be nervous.
! told pa didn't believe he was on the
right road, but he said he guessed no.
body could fool him about the road to
town, and bless me II he didn't drive
around that track about eight times.
Every time we passed the grand stand.
which pa couldn't see on account of his
o,.., I L., N,,J b,,t I thnuuhf ~ ha know