Daily Republican., 1883-10-18
THAT BAD BOY.
The Boy Gets Hts Customary Black
Eye.

Well, ! see you have got another black
eye," said the groceryman to the Dad BOY az
he came In with kerosene can. and sat
down by peach basket while the grocery
man drew tie kerosene. "H0w did You get
It? Have fight, or did your pa knock you
down with chair"
loot it trying to be an angel" said the
boy, as he fumbled around the mosquito BAR
over the basket Of peaches, TO see II there
wasn't place where peach might fall out.
You know that blind woman that grinds
the hand organ down on the corner. wen.
person would think that poor bind woman
who had to support herself ana hve children,
grinding out the awfulest music ever was
would be the last person in tho world to have
tricks played on her, but this morning !
found couple OF dudes dropping lozenges In
the cigar box that is Oh her organ for pen
nies. The first time they dropped In one the
old lady smiled and took 1t out and eat u,
and wasn't very mad, cause thought the
dudes would surprise her by dropping In q
Ave dollar gold piece for a nickle, and make
her feel good. But the next time they drop.
ped In cayenne pepper l0zenger, and they
got behind peanut stand to sec now 1t
worked. She bit II, and then she opened her
mouth and blowed cold wind on her parched
tongue, and almost LATED at flrst, she made
such face but when seen the tears begin
to pour out Of her poor old blind eyes. and
roll down her withered cheeks, and she TOOK
the corner Of her apron and wiped the tears
away, as she stopped right In the middle OF
" Annie Laurie" and the organ drew a long
breath, and when looked at those two dudes
lafing at her, got crazy Somehow felt ~
though that poor old woman was my ma,and
before / knew IT. l Jumped right in amongst
those dudes, and knocked one OF them
through the peanut stand on the hot chest,
nut roaster, and kicked the other where II
hurt and he ran, and the other one said =
+. What you got to do about the old woman:
don't you know and said she was fliend
Of mine, 'canse she was blind, ana then tne
Italian hit me In the eye with hard peach,
and a policeman came along and the dude
told him was a terrier, and the policeman
jerked my coat collar off, but when told him
what 1t was all about he gave me back my
coat collar and chased the dude, and the ola
lady thanked me with her trembling lips
that were snarting from the lozenger, ana
went home to get my collar sewed on, and pa
was going to take 1t out Of my hide. ! guess
II hadn't told him about the blind woman
he would have been kicking mo yet Sometimes
think II don't pay to be too darned good.
For instance, now in this row, all the friend
have got Is this blind woman. and she VII
not know me when she sees me. The two
dudes and the Italian will lay for me, and
the policeman will, very likely. be told by
the dude that It was me who fred the lozen'
ger In there, and have got to wear this
black eye for two weeks, Just for having a
heart in me. DO you think y pays to be
good, or didn't you ever try IL? ?"
!" You bet 1t pays" said the groceryman, as
he stuck the nozzle Of a kerosene can into
potato, and ripped off the mosquito bar and
told the boy to nelp himself to peaches. "iol
have got friend In me, and you can call on
me for cert iticate Of character at any time
A boy that protects the poor and unfortunate
is a thoroughbred, II he does get black eye
occasionally