The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-09-26

enough in the house to make a san
wich."
II thought your folks were piou
and would be inclined to overloe
anything" said the grcceryman
he charged the herring aud cracker
to the bad toy's father. You don
mean to tell me they went back o
the teachings of the good book, an
warmed your jacket?'
"You have guessed it the frs
time" said the boy. This prodigs
son business is all right in theory
but in practic- it is a dead failure
You see at Sunday school the less
was the prodigal son, and the minis
ter told US all about how the DO.
tm k all the money ne could scral
up and went away to a distant cOun
try and painte d the towns red, all
spent his money like a countrymal
in a circus, and how he took in al
the sights, and got broke. and 60
hungry and took JOB at the sto i
yards FEEDING pigs, and be was 81
hungry he used to help the pigs ea
their ratinns, and finally ne though
of his home, where they had pie, AM
be went home, expecting tn be free
out, but his pa was tiekled to SCI
him, and set up a free lunch OF cal
on the half shell and Rugged the boy
aud made him feel bully. When WI
got home Ia and ma talked
about the lesson, and pa said it was
one Of the most touching things hs
ever heard and told he t" think q
it, and it would do ne good. Well
the o I thought of it, the more ]
thought of trying the prodiyal bust
ness on. and l told my chum about
it, and b. said he hadn't had any va
cation and he would 90 Off prod'gsl-
ing with me if l would go, and we
could see the country and have q
good time, and come back and be re-
cei. ell with open arms. Well, We
got all our money together, and a
brakeman on a freight thrain, that
goes to our church. cause his wife
sings in the choir, hid US away in
the caboose. aud we went to Chicago
o, my, but we had a good time. l
rever saw money wi;her the way il
did with us. We eat auout twenty
times a day, the first tw" days, then
our appetites lett us because wedidn't
have any more money. The first
two nights We slept in a two shilling
lodging house, the third night we
walked around and the fourth night
we slept in the police station. When
Our money was gone, half of our fun
was gone. II a fellow can walk
around with money in his pocket. he
feels good, even if he don't want 10
buy anyth ng, but when the money
is gone, he fees bad. and wants to
buy lots of things. We waited two
days for IL brakeman, and when
got on his train, he put us in a
cattle car, and it was vile. / traded
my collar.button for a postal card.
and wrote to pa that the prodIgal
would put in his appearance at nine
p. m, aud for him to prepare to fall
my neck. and to send down to the
meet market for the hind quarter of
a fatted calf, and have plenty OF
gravy. You wouldn't believe it. but
there vas no carriage at the depot,
and we had to walk home. / could
have overlooked that, if there had
been anything to eat when 1 got to
the house, but there wasn't enough
for a canarys bird. Pa was there,
however, and l was just going to
hold out nv neck for pa to get on
and weep. when he grabbed it with
his hand and came near twisting it
off, and then he turned NE around
and commenced playing the bass
drum on my clothes with his feet.
[ never was so annoyed in all my
life, honestly. 1t was not the treat
ment l had a right to expect, after
hey had I'D me about the prodigaI
Ofancient times. As quick as I
could catch my breath I asked pa
what he thought the prodigal son of
he Bible times would ha re thought
f his pa had mauled him when he
anne home, and what kind of a
tory it would have made, if it had
OLD about the old man taking him
y the back of the neck and kick
ng him all over the room instead of
on bis neck and weeping
nd giving him a veal pot pie. Pa
aid he wasn't running any old
'ack number prodigal sons, and he
his way the best, and he
eat me to bed without any supper.
hat settled the prodigal business
rith Hennery. No more tatted calf
Or Hank, if you please" and the
ny got up-aud shook the herring
ceilings off his lap.
well. how did your chum come
ut?" asked the grocery man with
luch interest.
20, he hasn't come out yet, He
lin the Lookup" said the boy. His
Ia put the police onto him, and
'hen he showed up they run him
ITO the police station for a tramp. I
AJAX we both have demonstrated
lat the climate does rot agree with
re prodigal business, and however
'uch they may try to teach US the
eauties of Il: csc stories, they do not
kpect us to try to initiate them.
1hen I 20 to Chicago after this !
,all 60 in a parlor car, with lunch
to last me and q return
cket. l don't understand it at all.
ow I didn't do half the mean
in Chicago that the prodigal
N of old did in the far off country, {
I'd yet he got taffy when he got {
,me, and I got nv SHINE broke /,
may he all right, but they do
'ings different in the old country.
~ know" s
"IfI understand the kind of a t
rodigal son you are" said the gro q
ry man, as he sprinkled the floor )
ON a wash basin, preparatory TO
mi-annual sweeping out, 'you
we got even with your pa before /
is for his outrageous treatment. 4
lat is, mind you, I don't suggest \
ything for you to play OH him. Il
t from what I know Of you, the g
count is evened up before now. t.
I righl?" %
We'll l should remark. Any T
rson who thinks / cannot resent &
III an insult, makes u mistake as a
the sort of a prodigal son 1 am. b
. had company at dinner to-day, u
/ pa is always in his element D
we have company. He pride> al
nself on his carving. We had a h,
at beef, and before it went On the al
l took the steel that pa sharp W
the carving knife on, and made q,
holes right through the roast, er
u l took a rawhide whip that pa on
ted me with once, cut It in TIVE ! r.