The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-04-28
PECK's BAD BOY.
What the Small Boy and the Gro
Gerry Man Had to Say
About the Baby.

What Is it, q boy or a GIRL" sal
the grocery man, winking at an oil
lady with q shawl over her head
who was trying to hold a paper owe
a pitcher of yeast with her thumb.
"How in blezes did you know
anything about it," said the boy a
he looked around in astonishmen'
and with some indignation. "Well
it's a girl, if you must know. AND
that's enough" and he looked down
at the cat playing on the floor with q
potato, his face a picture of detection.
"Oh, don't feel bad about it," said
the grocery man, as he opened the
door for the old lady. "Such things
are bound to occur. But you take
my word for it, that young one is go
ing to have = hard life, unless you
mend your ways. You will be using
it for a cork to a jug. the first thing
ma knows"
II wouldn't touch the darn thing
with the tongs," said the boy, as he
rallied enough to eat Some crackers
and cheese. "Gosh. this cheese tastes
good. I hain't had nothing to eat
since morning. 1 have been all over
this town trolling for nurses. They
think a boy hasn't got any feelings.
But l wouldn't care a gol darn if ma
hadn't been sending me for neuralgia
medicine and hay fever snuff all win
ter when she vented to get rid of me.
1 have come in the room lots oftimes
when ma and the sewing girl were at
work on some flannel things, and ma
would hide them in a basketrand
send me off after medicine. 1 was
deceived up to about 4 o'clock this
morning, when pa come to my room
and pulled me QUO of bed to 20 over
On the West Side after some old wo-
men that knew ma, and they have
kept me w%hooping ever since. What
1oes q boy want of q sister, unless it
is q big sister? don't want no sis
,er that l have got to hold, and rock,
md hold a bottle for. This affair
breaks me all up" and the boy
the cheese out of his teeth
With a silver he cut off the counter.
"Well, how does your pa take it?"
aid the grocery man, as he charged
he boys pa with cheese, and saffron
nd a number of such things.
20, pa will pull through. He
to boss the whole concern
until mas chum, an old woman that
axes snuff, fired him out into the
all. Pa sat there on my hand-sled,
perfect picture of despair, and 1
bought it would be a kindness to
lay it on him. l found the cat
sleep in the bathroom, and I rolled
he cat up in a shawl and brought it
ut to pa and told him the nurse
'anted him to hold the baby. It
'emed to do pa good to feel that he a.;
as indispensable around the house,
nd he took the cat on his lap as
'nderly as you eve saw a mother q
old an infant. Well, 1 got in the
ack hall, where he couldn't see me,
nd pretty soon the cat began to
axe up and stretch himself, and pa i,
i'd, 's~-h-h-tootsy, go to sleep now, !
I'd let its pa hold it, and pa he
cked back and forth on the hand a
ed and began to sing by, low, ba- =
- That settled it with the cat. o
ell, some cats can't stand music, v
and the more the cat wanted +
get out of the shawl, the louder pa o
ng, and bimeby / heard something C.
,, and pa yelled, scat you brute,' IL II
d when I looked around the corner d
the hall the cat was bracing hisself il
ainst pas vest with his toe nails :.
d yowing, and pa fell over the =,
ID, and began to talk about the Fl
reatter like the minister does when ie
gets excited in church, and then 6
picked up the sled and seemed to NJ
looking for me OF the cat, but both g,
us was offul scarce. Don't YOU 81 II
ink there are times when boys and
9 r kind of few around their ia
;ustomed haunts? Pa don't look a.
though he was very smart, but he sa
hold a cat about as we'll as the tn
xt man. But | am sorry for ma. sn
e was just getting ready to 20 to a,
)rida for her neuralgia, and this
put a stop to it, cause she has to
y and.take care of that young one. ~
says / will have a nice time this
inner pushing the baby wagon.
the great horn SPOONS, there tas
to be a dividing line somewhere,
Ween business and pleasure, and I 5
Ike the line at wheeling a baby. w
ad rather catch a string of perch -
n to wheel all the babies ever was.
ey needn't procure no baby on my ,
cunt, if it is to amuse me. I can't l
why babies can't be sawed off Jnl
o people that need them in their I
mess. Our folks don't need a NJ
y any more than you need a safe, Of
there are people just suffering for Of
les: Say, how would it be to take IN o1s
baby some night and leave it on sin
re old bachelors door step. III DIES
been a bicycle, or a breech load ", VIC
shotgun. l wouldn't have cared. Gi,
a baby! Bah! 1t makes me des
d: I'd druther have a prize to-
kaye. Well, 1 am sorry D a an,
wded me to come home, after he bes
We me away last week. [ guess ffua
he wanted Inc to come back for $50
to humiilate me, and send me fee
brands. Well, 1 must 20 and see sou sa
e and the cat have made up" "A
nd the boy went out and put up est
per sign in front of the store. ioc
are .your measure for saffron teu." at
Mo
Where it Went To. A