The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-09-22

said the groceryman to the bad boy, AZ
he came in the store looking tired. wish
his clothes soslcd. and 4 general appear
anee Of having been sleeping in fresgh,
cars ~ith cattle Your pa told me he
expected you had run away Tor good and
that you nigh, not come back. Where
YOU been
Chicago. said the boy. as he took OF,
toad s,abber knife and proceeded 10
take the ulster of smoked herring
8 Been playing frcdigal san. IN two acts
But times have changed since tina, young
fellow in The bible ven, OF on a tear and
came back and the old folks killed a
young CON Tor HIM 20 eat. and fell on his
shirt cola. and cried desn the back Of
his neck. Tney don't receive prodisal
sons that way in our ward. They nj a
predigal sons coat tails fall OF boots. and
nc can't md cold veal enough IN the
house 70 make 4 sands,ch.
though, your folks we're pious, and
weG.d De inclined 10 overlook anything :"
sad the srooeiyman. as he charged the
he.Iins and crackers to the bad boys
father. You dor', mean 10 tell me The,
went back on tie teachings OF the good
book. and warmed your Jacket"
You have guessed II the trsi time"
said the boy. This ptodisal son busl-
ness is al night in theory. but IN practice
its a dead failure. You see \, Sun.ia,
school the lesson was ahoa, the prodigai
son. and the minister told as all about
how the boy took all the money he could
scrape up and went aw ay TO distant
country and painted the towns red. and
spen, his money like coun;ryman at a
circus, and how be ,sok in all the sights,
and 30, broke, and got hungry and took
Job at the stock yards feeding pigs. and
he Was so hungry he used to help the
pigs eat their rations. and finally he
thought OF his home. where they had PIE.
and he wen, home expecting to be hred
out, but his pa was ,ieklcd TO sec HIM and
sesup tree lunch of calf on the hall she'll.
and Rugged the boy. and made him ieel
bully. When we got home pa and ma
talked about the lesson, and pa said II
was one of the most tou chtna things he
ever heard, and told me TO think Of il.
and IT would do me good. Well, the
more thought OF !, the more felt like
trying the prodigal business on. and
told my ehum about IT. and he said he
hadn't had any vacation and he would 40
OF prodlgaling with me II would go.
and we could see the country. and have a
good time, and come back and be res eaved
with open arms. Well, ~e got all our
money together, and brakeman on a
ireigh, train. that goes TO our church.
cause his wife sings IN the choir. he hid
US in the eaboosc and ~e went to ( hIe ago
., ~, but we had good time. never
saw money wither the way j, did with US.
We eat about twenty times day. the first
two days. and then our Appetites left US,
because We d.dn', have any more money
The arsi two nights We slept IN two shil-
ling lodging house. the third night we
walked around, and the fourth nigh, ~e
Sept In the poiice-s,aiton. When our
money VAS gone, halt the fun WAS gone
II fellow can walk around with money
in his pocket. he feels good. even Il he
don; van, TO buy anything. bu, when the
money IS gone. he feels bad. and wants to
buy lots OF things. We waited two days
Tor our brakeman, and when we got on
his train he put US in a cattle car. and II
was vile. traded my collar button Tor a
postal card. and wrote TO pa tina, the
prodigal would pu, in an appearance at
nine p m. and for him to prepare To fall
on my neck. and To send down to the
meat market for hind quarter Of fai,ed
cali, and have plenty Of gravy You
wouldn't believe ii. but there was no car
rage Al the depot, and We had TO walk
home. could have overlooked that. II
there had been anything to eat when |
20; 10 the house. but there wasn't enough
for canary bird. Ia Was there. how
ever, and ! WAS JUS, gong 10 hold ou,
my neck Tor pa TO get on 10 weep. when
he grabbed II with his hand and came
near twisting II eff, and then he turned
me around and began 10 play the bass
drum on my clothes With has feet
never was 30 annoyed in all my lite. hon
esily. II was not the treatment | had =
right 10 expect, after they had told me
abou, the prodigal son 81 ancient times
AS quick as could catch my breath |
asked pa what he though, the prod,gzi
son of the bible times would have though,
/ If his pa had mauled him when he came
home, and wha, kind OF story it would
have made, II IL had told aboa, the old
man taking him by the neck and kicking
him all over the room instead Of falling
on his neck and weeping and giving hun
veal pot-pie. la said he wasn't run
ming any old back number prodigAl sons,
ard he thought his way was the best, and
he sent me to bed without any supper.
That settles the prodigai business with
Hennery. No more fAt,ed calf for Hank,
i il you please" and the boy 20, up and
shook the herring peelings from his lap
"Well. how did your chum come on, r
asked the grocery man. with much IN
teres,.
90. he hasn', come out ye, He Is IN
the lookup said the boy. His ma pa,
the police on 20 him, and when he showed
up they run him INTO the police-stA,ion
for tramp. think we have both dem.
onstraied that this climate does no,
agree Nth the prodigal business, and
however much they may try to teach u
the beauties Of such stories, they do not
expect Us TO Try TO initiate them. When
| go TO Chicago after this shall 20 10 a
pArior car, with lunch enough 10 las, me.
arH a resurr sirkst I Sor.t t.aHers. "a a