Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-11-08
Gales arto Sketrtes.
PHCK's BAD BOT AND HIS PA.
THE Boz Runs A FUNERAL AND SHOWS
THAT He Is NOT HALF As MEAN As
Folks THINK HE Is.

well. you don't look very kitteny this
morning." said the grocery man to the
bad boy, as he stood up behind the stove
to get warm, and looked as though life
was not one continued picnic as heretofore.
What's the matter with you? Your
father has not been tamperiDg with you
with boot, has he?
NO. SIR said the boy as he frightened
ND. PA and me are good friends now.
He saws be has discovered that my heart
is in the right place, and that | am going
to amount to something, and he has for
given every foolish thing | ever did to
him. and saws for me 10 come to him any
time when | want advice or money to do
good with Why, when Pa found had
pawned my watch to get money to buy
medicine for the old woman, he went and
redeemed it, and offered to whip the pawn
broker for charging me too much tor the
money. o, pa is darling now he
went to the funeral with u.s."
What funeral ?" said the grocery man.
with look of surprise. ''YOu crazy ?
haven't heard Of any funeral at your
house. Don't you come no Joke on me.
20, there is no joke about 1t, SAID the
DOW, on see, INC iittlC hPPiO g.
grandma lost her grip ON this earth soon
after she got the medicine and the DOCTOR
and died. was down there, and 1t was
the solemnest scene l ever witnessed.
looked around and see that somebody had
got to act, and braced up and told the
girl was all wool, yard wide, and for
her to lust let me run things. She was
going to the poor master, and have the
city bury the old lady, but couldn bear
to see that little girl play solitaire as
mourner and ride in an express wagon
with the remains, and not have any min
lister, and go to the pauper burying ground
where they don't say grace over the coffin,
but two shovelers smoke black pipes
and shovel the earth in too quick. and talk
Bohemian all the time. 1t didn't seem
right for poor little girl that never COM
mitted crime except to be poor and
sell wormy apples, to have no style
about her grandma's funeral, so told
her to brace up and wipe her eyes on one
of my handkerchief, and wait for Hennery.
Well, sir, didn't know as | had so much
gall. You have got to be put in tight
place before you know the kind of baled
hav there is in you. rushed out and found
a motherly old lady that used to do our
washing and give me bread and butter
with brown sugar on it, when l went
after the clothes. knew a woman that
would give bad boy bread and butter
with brown sugar on it, and cut the slices
thick, had warm heart, and got her to
90 down the alley. and stay with the little
girl, and be a sort of mother to her for a
couple of days. Then | got my bicycle
and took it down to the pawn shop and
got twenty dollars on it. and with that
money in my pocket felt as thoug;. |
owned a brewery. and went to Teller
that runs an excursion hearse and told him
wanted hearse and one good carriage
at two o'clock sharp. and the mourners
would be ready. He thought was fool
ing but showed my roll of bills and that
settled him. He would have turned out
six horses for me. when he see had the
wealth to put up. went down and told
the little girl how had arranged things
and she said she wasn't fixed for no such
turnout as that. She hadn't any clothes.
and the toes of one foot were all out of
the shoe, and the heel was off the other
one. so she walked sort of ttdtic like.
told ner not to borrow any trouble, and
would rig her out SO she would do credit
to regular avenue funeral, with plumes
on the hearse, and went home and hunted
through the closets and got lot OF clothes
ma wore years ago. when my little brother
died, and pair of her shoes. and a long
veil. and everything complete. l was GO
ing 10 lump over the back fence with the
bundle when pa caught sight of me and
called me back. felt guilty, and didn't
want to explain and pa opened the bundle
and when he saw the mourning clothes
that he had not seen before since we
buried our little baby great tears came &c
pas eyes and he broke down and wepl
like child and it made me weaken
some, too. Then pa wanted tC
know what it all meant, why
was stealing them clothes out the
back way. and told him all, how had
pawned things to see that little CIR
through her trouble, and had taken the
black clothes cause | thought pa would
90 back on it and tell me to let people
run their own funerals. l expected pa
would thump me, but he said he would
90 his bottom dollar on me, and, do you
know. the old daisy went with me to the
house. and patted the little girl on the
head, and said for her to keep a stiff up
per lip. and when the funeral came off
pa anu tuTee NtucT oiu uuuo'S sh"e "a Z
pas chums, they acted as bearers. | hao
tried couple of ministers to get them t'
go along and say grace. but | guess they
couldn't see any money or glory in it. FOL
| they turned me away with soft answer
| and had about closed contract with &
sort of amateur preacher that goes around
| to country school houses preaching FOL
his board, but pa he kicked on that ant
| said we should have the best there was
| and he sent word to our minister that hi
had got use for him, and he was on deck
and did his duty just as well as though ,
| millionaire was dead. Well, rode will
the little girl as assistant mOurner. ant
tried to keep her from crying. but whel
we passed the house of correction, wher'
her father is working out sentence to-
being drunk and disorderly. she brok'
down. and | told her l would be he
father. and mother, and grandmother ant
the whole family. and she put her hand oil
mine and said how good was, and tina
broke me up, and had to heller. i don
want to be'called good. If people viii
keep on considering me bad. and let M
do what good want to on the sly, it il
all right. But when she put that littl,
hand on mine. and it was so clean an,