The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-04-21
HIS MA DECEIvEs HIM.

"GiVe me ten cents worth of saffron,
quick" said the bad boy to the grocery
man, as he came in the grocery on
gallOp, early one morning, with no collar
on, and no vest. He looked as though
he had been routed out of bed in hurry,
and had jumped into his pants and
boots, aud put on his coat and hat on
the run.
Il don't keep saffron said the grocery
man, as he picked up barrel of ax-han-
dies the boy had tipped over in his hurry.
"Yon want to go over to the drug store
on the corner, If you want saffron. But
what on earth is the mat"
At this point the boy shot out Of the
door, tipping over a basket Of white
beans, and disappeared in the drug store.
The grocery man got down on his knees
on the sidewalk and seOOped up the
beans occasionally looking over to the
drug store, and Just as he got them
picked up the boy came out of the drug
store and walked deliberately towards
his home, as though there was no par
tieular hurry. The grocery man looked
after him, took up an RX-handle, spit on
his hands and shouted to the boy to come
over pretty soon, as he wanted to talk
with him. The boy did not come to the
grocery till towards night, but the gro
Gerry man had seen him running down
town a dozen times during the day and
OuCb AOub W Abu gup
doctor, and the grocer surmised what
was the trouble. Along towards night
the boy came in in detected sort of
tired way, sat down on barrel of sugar,
and never spoke.
what Is 1t, boy or girl" said the
grocery man, winking at an old lady
with a shawl over her head, who was
trying to hold paper over pitcher of
yeast with her thumb.
"HOw in blaZes did you know any
thing about II" said the boy as he look
ed around in astOnishment, and with
some Indignation. "Well, its girl, if
YOU must know, and that's enongh," and
he looked down at the cat playing on the
floor with potato, his face a picture of
80, don't feel bad about it," said the
grocery man, as he opened the door for
the old lady. "Sueh things are bound
to occur. But you take my word for 1t,
that young one is going to have hard
life, unless you mend your ways. You
will be using it for cork to jug, or to
wad a gun with, the first thing your ma
knows"
81 wouldn't touch the darn thing with
the tOngs," said the boy, as he rallied
enough to eat some crackers and cheese.
Gosh, this cheese tastes good. l haint
had nothing to eat since morning. l
have been all over this town trolling for
nurses: They think boy hasn't got any
feelings. But l wouldn't care gol darn
IL ma hadn't sent me for neuralgia
medicine, and hay fever stuff all winter,
when she wanted to get lid Of me. l
have come in the room lots Of times
when ma and the sewing girl were at
. work on some flannel things, and ma
would hide them in q basket and send
me off after medicine. was deceived
up to about four o'clock this morning,
when pa came to my room and pulleG
me out Of bed to go over on the West
Side after some old women that knew
ma, and they have kept me whOOping
ever since. What does boy want of a
sister, unless it Is big sister. l don't
want no sister that have got to hold
and rock and hold the bottle for. This
affair breaks me all up" and the boy
picked the cheese out of his teeth with
silver he cut off the counter.
"Well, how does your pa take 1t, said
the grocery man, as he charged the boys
pa with cheese, and saffron, and num-
ber of such things.
20, pa will pull through: He wanted
to boss the whole concern until mas
chum, an old woman that takes snuff,
fred him out into the hall. Pa sat there
on my hand sled, perfect picture Of de-
'spair, and thought 1t would be kind
ness to play 1t on him. found the cat
asleep IN the bathroom, and rolled the
cat up in a shawl and brought it out to
pa and told him the nurse wanted him
to hold the baby. 1t seemed to do pa
good to feer that he WAS indispensable
around the house, and he took the cat
on his lap as tenderly as you ever saw
mother hold an infant. Well, got in
the back hall, where he couldn't see me,
and pretty soon the cat began to wake
up and stretch himself, and pa said,
s-h-h-tOOtsy, go to sleep now, and let its
pa hold it. and pa he rocked back and
forth on the hand sled and began to
sing by, low, baby That settled it
with the cat. Well, some cats can't
stand music, anyway, and the more the
cat wanted to get out Of the shawl, the
louder pa sung, and bimeby l heard
something rip. and pa yelled, scat you
brute and when looked around the
corner of the hall the cat was braclng
hisseIf against pas vest with his toe
nails, and yOwing, and pa fell over the
sled and began to talk about the here
after like the minister does when he
gets excited in church, and then pa
picked up the sled and seemed to be
looking for me or the cat, but both of US
was Offul scarce. Don't you think there
are times when boys and cats are kind
Of few around their accustomed hauntsp
Pa don't look as though he was very
smart, but he can hold q cat about as
well as the next man. But l am sorry
for ma. She was just getting ready to
go to Florida for her neuralgia, and this
will put a stop to 1t, cause she has to
stay and take care of that youngOne. Pa
saws will have nice time this sum-
mer pushing the baby wagon. By the
great horn spoons, there has got to be q
dividing line somewhere, between busi-
ness and pleasure, and strike the line
at wheeling baby. l had rather catch
a string of perch than to wheel all the
babies ever was. They needn't procure
no baby on my account, II 1t Is to amuse
me. don't see why babies can't be
sawed dlff onto people that need them in
their business. Our folks don't need q