Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-27

-
good deal more than usual?" asked the bad bow
OF the grocery man, as he took smoked her
ring out OF box and peeled of the skin with
a broken-baded jack-knife, and split 1t open
and ripped off the bone threw the head at cat,
and took some crackers and began to eat.
''Well, don't know but he does look as
though he was getting DID," said the grocery
man, az he took piece of yellow wrapping
paper and charged the boys poor old father
with dozen behring's and pound of crackers.
but there is no wonder he is getting old. 1
wouldn't go through what your father has the
last year for 81 100000. l tell you, boy. when
your father is dead, and you get a step-father,
and he makes you walk the chalk-mark, YOU
yourself out of by killing off your father The
way l figure it, your father will last about six
months, and you ought to treat him right the
little time he has to live"
We'll, 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 trou-
bic about stepfather SO long before hand I
don't think ma could get man to step into pa's
shoes. as long as lived. not ii she was inlaid
with diamonds, and owned a brewery There
are brave men, | know, that are on the marry,
but none of them would want to be breyet
father to cherubim like me. except he got
pretty good wages. And then. since ma was
dssected he is going to lead different life and
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 grocery
man. as he thought that his trade in cider for
mince pies would be cut off. $50 you cot him
into the Good Templars, eh?''
'Well, he thinks he has joined the Good
Iemplars, so it is all the same You see m,
chum and me have been going to private
gymnasium on the West Side. kept by Dutch
man; and IN back room he has all the tools for
getting up muscle. There, look at nv arm"
said the boy, as he rolled up his sleeve and
showed muscle about as big as an OYSTER
THAT is the result OF training at the gymna-
stun. 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 ioin the
Good Templars that night there wouldn't be
many at the lodge, and he wouldn't be SO en-
par parrassed, and as was one of the officers of
the lodge would put it to him light. and he
said 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
said who comes there, and he said it was nil
grinkwho wanted to jine our sublime order. /
asked him If he had made up his mind to turn
from the ways of hyena, and adopt the Gus
toms OF the truly good, and he said If he knew
his own heart he had. and then told him to
III III ouC VI Tue snow ana TAKE OH MS pants
He kicked little at taking off his pants, because
it was cold out there in the storm-door dog
house. but told him they all had to do it. That
princes. potentates and paupers all had to come
to It, He asked me how it was when we in
itiated women. and told him women never
took this degree. He pulled of his pants, and
wanted check for them, but 1 told him
the grand mOgul would hold his clothes.
and then l bllnd-foldcd him. and with
baseball club 1 pounded on the floor as
,,,;, walked tss him him around the gymnasium,
We won't go home till morning. Then /
stopped in front of the ice-water tank and said:
Grand Worthy Duke. l bring before YOU
pilgrim who has drank of the dregs until his
stomach won't hold water, and who desires to
was worthy and well qualified and told him
tnat ne had been drunk more or less since the
reunion last summer, which ought to qualify
him. Then the grand mogul made pa repeat
the most blood -curdling oath, in which pa agreed
II ne ever drank another drop, to- allow anybody
TO pull his tOe-nails out with tweeZers. to have
his liver dug out and fed to dogs, his head
chopped of, and his eyes removed. Then the
mogul said we would brand the candidate on
the bare back with the initial letters of our or
der. e. T.. that all might read how a brand
had been snatched from the burning You'd
died to see pa finch when pulled up his shirt
and got ready to brand him. My chum got a
piece OF Ice out of the watercooler and, just as
nc Siappeu IL o'iIo pa oack, burned piece
OF horses hoof in the candle and held it to pas
nose, and guess pa actually thought it was his
burning skin that he smelled. He iIImped abont
six feet and said, Great heavens, what Won
dewin'! and then he began to roll over barrel
which had arranged for him. Pa thought he
was going down cellar, and he hung to the bar
rel. but he was on top half the time When pa
and the barrel got through fighting was be-
Side him, and l said. Calm yourself and be pre-
pared for the ordeal that is to follow Pa asked
how much of this dunn fOoling there was. and
ne said ne was sorry he Joined. He said he
could let Ticker alone without having the skin
all burned off his back. told pa to be brave
and not weaken and all would be we'll. He
wiped the Precipitation off his face on the end
OF MS shirt, and we put belt around his
him up so his feet were just off the floor, and
then we talked as though we were away off.
and told my chum to look out that pa did
not hit the gas fixtures and pa actually thought
ne was beng hauled clear up to the roof: 1
could see he was scared by the complexion of
MS haDds and feet, as they clawed the air. He
actually sweat so the drops fell on the floor
Bime-by we let him down. and he was awfully
relieved, though his feet were not more than
TWO inches from the floor any of the time. We
sllVers In to give him realizing sense of the
rough road reformed man has to travel. and
had got him straddle of the board, when
the Dutchman came home from the dance |
iuHci na soOse auu lie grove us boys out and |
we left pa, and the Dutchman said, sVot Won
vas doing here NIT dose boys, you old duffer. |
and we're vas your pants? ? and pa pulled off
the handkerchief from his ewes, and the
Dutchman said If he didn't get out in a HOLY
minute he would kick the stuff1ng out of him:
and pa got out. He took his pants and mt
them on out in the alley, and then we come up
to pa and told him that was the third time the
drunken Dutchman had broke up our lodge, but
we should keep on doing good until we had re-
deemed every drunkard In Milwaukee, and pa |!
SAID that was right and he would see us
through If it cost every dollar he had. Then
we took him home. and when ma asked ii she |
couldn't JOIN the lodge, too, pa said Now. YOU |
take my advice and don't you never ioin no |
Good Templars. Your system could not stand |
the racket Say. want you to put some cold |
cream on my back!' think pa will be differ |
ent man now, don't you?"
The grocery man said that if he was that bows |
pa for fifteen minutes he would be q different |
boy or there would be funeral, and the boy |
took handful of sOft-shelled almonds and q |
lew layers OF raisins and skipped out.
How to Wake sound SleeDers
From the New York Sun,
conductor on a Third Avenue horse car was |
seen last evening exposing to the cold air the |
little iron wrench usAd m tho rood commanded |