The Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1882-1883, 1883-05-25
THE BAD BOY.

boy, as the boy pulled the Tall poaru
ou. of the delivery wagon accidental
ly and let a couple Of bushels OF po-
toto0s roll out into the gutter. ~
haven't seen you around here, and
you look pale. You haven't been
sick, have you?"
"No, / have not been sick. Pa
locked me up in the bathroom two
ia, s and two nights, and didn't give
me nothing TO eat but bread and wa
Ter. Since ho has got religious he
seems to DO harder than ever on me.
Say. do You think religion softens q
mans heart, or doos it give him a
cskei breas? l 'speck Pa will Lurn
mo at the stake next"
The grocery man said that when a
man had truly boon converted his
heart was sof,ened, and he was al.
ways looking for q chance to do good
and be kind to tho poor, but II he
only had this galvanized religion, this
roll plate piety, or whitOwashed re-
formation. he was liable TO be q hard.
cr ci',zon than before. What made
your p. lock You up in the bath room
on bread and water?" he asked.
"Wcll," said the boy as he cat a
couple OF salt pickles ont OF iar on
tho sidewalk, Pa is not converted
enough TO hurt him, and knowad
it, and | thought il would DO good
joke to try him anl SEQ il he was 50
conioundod good. so got my chum
70 dress up in q suit Of his sisters
summer clothes. Well, you wouldn't
believe my chum would look so much
ike a girl. He would fool the old
est inhabitant. Hc had to sell lis
bicycle TO slim fcllow that clorks in
a store, cause he didn't want it any
more. HE neck is just as fat and
there arc dimplcs in it, and with q
dress low in the neck, and long at
the trail he looks as tall as my Ma.
He busted one Of his sisters sl!ppers
getting them on, and her stockings
weto good deal too big for him,
but he tucked his drawers down in
them and tied q euspendor around
his leg above the knee, and they
stayed on all right. Well, he looked
KILN. ! should prcvaricate, with his
sisters muslin dress on, stlrched as
s,if1 az q shirt, and her reception hat
with white feather as big rs New.
foundland dogs tail. Pa said lie had
got to 60 down town to see some OF
the Old soldiers OF his regiment. and
| !oa,ed behind. Ny chum met Pa
on the corner aud asked him whore
the Lako Shore Park was. "She'
said size was stranger from Chica-
90. that her husband had deserted
her and Sue didn't know but she
would jump into tho Lake. Pa look
ed in my chum's eye aid seized her
up, and said it would be sin to
commit suicide. and asked il she
didn't want to take q walk. My
chum said he should litter, and he
took PAS arm md they walked up to
the lake and back. Well. you may
talk about joining the church on pro-
baton ail you please, but they Get
their arm around q girl oil the same,
Pa huggcd my chum till he says he
thought Pa would broak his sisters
corset all 10 pieces, and he squeezed
my chum'a hand till the ring cut
right into his finger and ho has to
wear piece OF court plaster on it.
Thsy started for the Court House
park, as l told my chum to do, and !
went and got Ma, 1t was about time
for the soldiers to 60 to tho e1posi.
ton for the evening b'zaess, and ]
told Ma wo could 60 down and sec
them go by. Ma just throwed Q
shawl over hor head and We started
down through the park When We
90. near Pa and my chum / told Nj
it was shame for 80 many people u
bo sitting around lally-sagging righ'
before folks, and she said it was dis
gustin', and then pointed to my
chum VIII had his head on Pas bos
om, and Pl was pattins my chum OF
the check, while he held his othe
arm around his waist. They was o'
tho iron seat, aud We came right NJ
behind them and when Mo saw Pa'
bald head thought she would pust
She know his head as quick as sh
sot eyes on l.. My chum asked Pa
he was married, aud ho said no was
widowor. He said his wife died four
teen years ago. Of liver complaint
Well, Ma shook like leaf, aud
could hear her new teeth rattle jus
like chewing strawberries with san
in them. Then my chum put hi
orou,d p.,'a nock and said. "l