The Greenville times., 1883-05-12
That Bad Boy again.
Peek's Sun.

bald-headed ghost, what's the
matter with you9r said the gro
eery man TO the bad boy, as he
came into the grocery on crutehes
with one arm in Il sling, one eye
blackened, and a strip of court
plaster across one side of his face.
where was the explosion Or,
have you been in Il iightl Or has
your pa been giving You what
you deserve with a club Here,
let me help you. There; sit down
on that chair. Wen, by the great
guns you look as though you had
called somebody a liar. What's
| the matterfn Aud the grocery
man took the crutehes and stood
them up hy the showcase.
"Oh, there not much the matter
with me- said the boy, in a voice
that sounded all broke up, as he
took an apple of a basket, aud be-
gan peeling in with his upper front
teeth. "lfyou think lam wreck
You ought to see the minister.
They had to carry him home in in
stallments, the way they buy sow
ing machines. I'm all right, but
they have got to stop him up with
oakum and tar before he will ever
hold water again.
"Good graciousl You have
not had Il fight with the minister
have you! Well | have said all the
time, and | stick to It, that you
would commit n crime yet, and 20
to State prison. What was the
fuss aboutl And the grocery man
laid the hatchet out of the boys
reach, for fear that he would got
excited and kill him.
"Oh, it wasn't no fuss. 1t was
in the way of business. You see
the livery man that was working
for promoted me. He let me
drive a.horse to haul sawdust for
bedding first aud when he found
was real careful, he let mo drive
an express wagon, to haul trunks.
Day before yesterday, think it
was (yes, ! was in bed all day yes
terday), day before yesterday
there was funeral, aud our stable
furnished the outfit. 1t was only
a common 'eleven-dollar funeral,
and they let me drive the buggy
for the minister-you know the
buggy that goes ahead OF the
hearse. They gave mo an old
: horse that is thirty years old, that
has not been off of Il walk since
nine years ago, and they told me
; to give him q loose reign, and he
: would go u long right. 1t is the
p. same old horse that used to pace
: SO fast on the avenue, years ago
> but T'didn't know IT, Well ! want tC
blame. just let him walk along
as though he was hauling sawdust
and gave him a loose reign. Wher
we got off the pavement the fellow
that drives the hearse, he was il
= a hurry, cause his folks was goins
to have ducks for dinner, and h,
wanted to get back, so he KEEP
!, driving along side my buggy, ant
telling me to hurry up. wouldn'i
= do it, cause the livery man TOLD
me to walk the horse. Then the
minister, he got nervous, and sait
he didn't know as there was an,
use in going so slow, because h'
wanted to get back in time to ge
his lunch and 90 to a ministers
meeting in the afternoon, but
told him we would all got to thu
cemetery soon enough if we tool
it cool, and as for me wasn't II
no sweat. Then one of the driv
ers that was driving the mourners
o he came up and said he had to ge
@ back in time to run wedding
{ down to the one O'Clock train, am
| for me to pull out q little. | hav'
+ seen enough of disobeying orders
$ and | told him q funeral in hant
0 was worth two weddings in thu
s bush, and as far as was concern
G cd the funeral was going to be con
q Quoted in decorous manner /
n we didn't get back till next day
t Well, the minister said, in his reg
g ular Sunday school way, M,
d little man, let me take hold of th'
G reins,' and like a darn fool gay'
= them to him. lie slapped the ole
S horse on the crupper with the line
). and then ierked up, and the oil
G horse stuck up his off ear, and thel
G the hearse driver told the minis
t. ter to pull hard and saw on tn
o bit a little, and the old hors
d would wake up. The hearse drive
IT used to drive the old horse on tn
a track, and he knew what lie want
IS ed. The minister took of hi
g black kid gloves and put his un
II brella down between us, and pull
d ed his hat down tight on his hea