The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-11-07
THE BAD BOY.

"Say you think of about every
thing mean there is going, don't
you,' said the grocery man to the
bad boy, as ne came in to show that
his black eye had been cured. ''The
minister explained to me yesterday
how you caused him and your father
to lay and soak in the water for
about three hours, one hot day last
summer. in the lake, and they both
bltstered their backs. The minister
says the skin had not stopped peel
ing off his shoulders yet. What
caused you TO play such mean
trick ON them?"
30, it was their own fault" said
the boy as he looked w tn disdain on
watermelon that was out of season,
and had no charms in October.
You see, the night the .'ociable was
at our house, the minister and some
of the deacons were up i'll my room
which they used that njght for Il
smoking room, and while they were
smoking they were telling stories
about what fun they had when they
We're boys, and | rembember one
story the minister told about find
ing some girls in swimming once,
and stealing thir clothes, snd max
ing them wait till night and then
girl had to fix herself up with news
papers and GO home and send a
wagon after the rest of the girls.
The minister thought it was awful
cunning, so when the church had
the picnic last summer on the bank
OF the lake, | remembered about IL.
Beats all, don't it how boy will re-
member anything like that? Well,
after dinner saw pa whisper to the
minister, and they took couple of
towels and a piece of soap, and
started off up the lake about half
mile, and | knew they were going
in swim ming. Well. it don't take
me veS- long to catch on. | got an
overdress that one of the girls had
heen wearing to wash dishes, and a
shawl. and stole a hat belonging to
the soprano OF the choir. and red
parasol that girl left under tree,
went down n the woods and dut on |
the clothes, over my pants and |
things. and when pa and the minis +
ter bad got in the water and were |
swimming around, | put up the
parlsol and tripped along the shore
like girl picking flowers and when !
| came to the stump where they put
their clothes | didn't look toward !
the water, but acted tired, and sat
down on the stump and began to
fan myself You'd a. dide to see pa |
look. He crawled up on the beach,
in the shallow water and said,
"Elder. do you see that?" The
Elder looked with hisself all under !
water exec pit his head, and said |
"Merciful goodness, squire, We are |
in for it. That interesting female is !
going to sit there and read novel |
through before she goes away"
peeked through the fan and could /
see all thay said, while | pretended |
TO read vel They swan around
and made a noise, but | was deaf,
and | thought it wasn't any worse
for me to sit Oh the stmp than it was |
for the minis ter, when he was good |
little bow To steal the clothes of the
girls. ! STAY ed until / got tired, and
didn't hear them when they hollered \
10 me to 90 away, and after while |
they got water soaked, and had to
do something. so the minister broke |
off a piece OF a tree and dressed /
himself in it, and came up towards
me, and said, Madame excuse me
for troubling you. but if you will go |
away while get my clothes, will !
take it as favor" | pretended to
be irsul,ed, and got up and walked
off very indignant, and went back to
the picnic and returned the clothes,
and pretty soon they came up, look |
ing as red as if they had been drink
ing and the picnic was ready to go /
home. Somebody told pa it was
me, but | don't know who it was
thai give it away. Anyway he
chased me clear out of the woods |
with a piece of sapling. That was
the time told you | was too tired
10 ride, and walked. home from the
picnic. Pa has forgiven me, but | |
don't believe the minister ever will. |
Don't you think some of these pious
folks are awful unfergiven ?"
20, people are not all as good as
you and l are" said the grocery !
man. as he watched the boy making |
sneak ON a bunch of Grapes
Pecks Sun,