The Press., 1883-04-12
THE BOYS STORY.

THE BOYS STORY.
 I'm boy. I ain't so big as some folks,
 but I got eyes, an they see things, an I've got ears, an they hear things, an you bel yer boots I ain't a fool an don't know
 buth-she's my big sister-does call me 8 fool when she gifts mad an has tantrums. That don't make it so, reckon. don't like Lisbuth, COS she snaps my ears when she's huffy, an folks what snaps boys ears hadn't ought to be liked by anybody.
 They're too mean for anything
 'Never you mind," I've sed to 'Lisbuth
 more'n once, when she'd ben snappin'
 me. s'In pay yer off fort, some day, see f I don't" Then she'd snap me ag'in, COS she sed I was sassy. But kep' my word, jest as I sed I would. I paid her off fe1
 all her snappin,' you bet. I s'pose I've got to stan lots of it yit, but when I think
 how mad she was, can git along with a
 big snappin' 'thout feelin' it much. It
 lest makes me feel chuck'ly all over now. when I think of it. My but want she
 wrathy? Oh, no, guess not
 You see, 'Lisbuth, she had 8 beau. She gifts lots of 'em, COS she's good-lookin' an is so kinder smooth-hke. Her hans looks nice with rings on 'em to the beaus, COS they don't feel 'em snappin' their ears.
 s'pose they think she's angel, but that's cos they don't know nothin' about it. do Once she snapped my ears, an then she slapped lem, an her big ring, it hurt awful, an I sez, "What dye keep yer hans so still fer when beaus come? Why don't ye snap their ears ? Mex time there's s one here, I'll make faces at ye, so's you can up an snap me an show 'em how smart ye be with yer fingers So went down stairs, nex' time beau came, did, an got right up afore Iisbuth, an I made faces at her, Awful, an she jestlafed, an sez, ''What redicklus boy" ''Why don't ye snap me ?" sez l. "I would like to- sez she, kinder low, so her feller shouldn't hear her, an then mother, she come in, an I dassent act no more to Lis buth.
 Sophy-she's my 'tother -Sophy, she had beau, an she liked him lots. I liked him, too, COS he give me things, an he wa'n't always lookin' jest as ef that he thought boys hadn't no business to be round, when our folks want in sight. Some fellers, they'd be awful clever to me when anybody see 'em, but eff they didn't, they'd be cross, an jerk their canes way from me, an grumble like ev'rything bout anything did. I always paid 'em off fer bein' mean, but Henry, he wa'n'tso. He'd let me wear his hat, an once he helped me play horse, an he kicked me, an sed it hurt, an he sed that was all right, COS that was what horses kicked for, an sed I didn't like for to play horse that way. An he laffed, but didn't.
 Henry, he liked Sophy, too, an they used to set an look at each other jest as eff they'd like to swaller each other, awful sweet like. I've seen 'em, COS I've peeked in through the crack in the door. An once heard 8 smackin, an sez I, all to'onct, through h the }, key-hole, ''Hello :! what's that I heerd p an then opened an Sophy, she was red, too, but they want nearer'n ten foot of each other. They lookt awful inherent, but know he'd been a-kissin' her. Ye can't fool me. fit had ben 'Lisbuth, she'd a snapped me when he was gone, but Sophy, she never acted like that. I like Sophy tiptop. She's got some feelin fer boy, she has. But that old 'Lisbuth, she hain't got none. But come up with her fer her meanness, an don't you forgit it. Elf you don't bleeye me, jest ask her. s
 Llsbuth, she took fancy to Sophy's feller, an she jest did her level best to hook him. She'd smile at him as sweet as sugar, an she'd make him sing when she played on the pianner, an she jest went fer him heavy She wouldn't ha' made out nothin' ef she hadn't got Sophy to send him 8 valentine. Itswas a real redicklus one, an it made him mad, cos 'Iisbuth, the mean old thing isshe went an told him Sophy sent it, an made him think Sophy was mad with him, an wanted to let him know that her heart wasn't his'n any more An so 'Lisbuth, she busted up things be- tween 'em, an Henry, he'd come to see 'Lisbuth, but he didn't say nothin' bout Sophy, an she'd go right out O the room when she see him a comin'.
 'Don't you like Sophy any more ?' I sed, one day when he was there, an he got awful red, an 'Lisbuth, she was mad, an she got right up an she took me by the arm am walked me out O the room an when she got me into the hall she snapped my ears that hard that couldn't stan it, an I tore her hair down, an trod on her foot which has got corn, an she jest sez "Oh P an kinder scrooched right down as if it hurt awful. s'I'm glad of it, sez I. "My ears has got jest as much feelin's in 'em as your corns has," an then jerked an run off. I went up to Sophy's room an told her how 'Lisbuth had ben snap pin me, on she said twas too bad, an put arniky onto my ears It made 'em smart, awful, but they didn't git sore much. Ar milky stops 'em from bein' sore after they've been snapped s - ss esg7ss
 What had you ben doin' to provoke Lizbuth ?" asked Sophy. "Nothin',' sez [, .tonly asked Henry if he didn't t like you no more.'' Then Sophy, she sot still } minnit, an then she begun to cry. t"sNo, he don't like me any more, i" sez she, jest IS eff I want there, ''but do him. Oh, f hadn't been fool 'nough to send him hat old valentine, jest COS Lizbuth dared