Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-04-03
THAT BAD BOY.
His "Pars' is Beginning to Show that
He is Growing Rapidly Ancient.

"Don't you think my pa is showing
his age good deal more than usual ?"
asked the bad boy of the groceryman, as
he took smoked herring out of box
and peeled off the skin with broken
bladed jack-knife, and split 1t open and
ri pped off the bone, threw the head at q
cat, and took some crackers and began
to eat.
"Well. I don't know but he does look
as though he was getting DID," said the
groceryman, as he took piece of yellow
wrapping paper and charged the boys
father with a dozen herrings and a
pound of crackers; "but there is no
wonder he is getting old. wouldn't go
through what your father has in the
last year for million dollars. tell
you, boy, when your father is dead, and
you get a step father, and he makes you
walk the chalk mark you will realize
what bonanza you have fooled your
self out of by killing off your father
The way ] figure it, your father will
last about six months, and you ought to
treat him right the little time he has to
live"
"Well, am going to-" said the boy,
as he picked the herring bones out of his
teeth with piece of match that he
sharpened with his knife. "But don't
believe in borrowing trouble about a
step father so long before hand. don't
think ma could get man to step into
pas shoes as long as I lived, not if she
was inlaid with diamonds and owned q
brewery. There are brave men know
that are on the marry, but none ofthem
would want to be brevet father to a
chernbim like me. .lexcept he got pretty
good wages and then, since pa was dis.
sected he is going to lead different
life, and I guess will make man of
him if he holds out. We got him to
join the Good Templars last night"
."No, you don't tell me-" said the
groceryman as he thought that his trade
in cider for mince pies would be cut off.
$50 you got him into the Good Tenn
plars, eh?
"Well. he thinks he has joined the
You see, my chum and me have been
west side, kept by Dutchman, and in a
back room he has all the tools for get
ting up muscle. There, look at my
arm" said the boy, as he rolled up his
sleeve and showed a muscle about as
big as an oyster. "That is the result of
training at the gymnasium. Before
took lessons hadn't any more muscle
than you have got. Well, the Dutch.
man was going to dance on the south
side the other night, and he asked my
chum to tend the gymnasium, and
told pa if he would join the Good Tenn
plars that night there wouldn't be many
at the lodge, and he wouldn't be so em
barrsssed, and as was one of the Off
GERS of the lodge I would put it to him
light, and he would go, SO my chum got
five other boys to help US put him
through. So we steered him down to
the gymnasium and made him rap on
the storm door outside, and 1 said who
comes there. and he said it was a pil,
grim who wanted to jlne our sublime
order. I asked him If he had made up
bis mind to turn from the ways of a
hyena and adopt the customs of the
truly good, and he said if he knew his
own heart he had, and then I told him
to come in out of the snow and take of
his pants. He kicked little about TAX
ing off his pants because it was cold out
there in the stormsdoor dog-house, but
I told him they all had to do it. That
princes, potentates and paupers all had