Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-11-10
TIKI, BAD BOY.

"Sav, You think Of about everything
mean there is going, don't you," said the
grocery man to the bay boy, as he came
in to show that his black eye had been
cured. sThe minister explained to me
Yesterday how you caused him and your
father to Law and soak in the water for
! about three hours, one hot day last sum-
mer. in the lake, and they both blistered
| their backs. The minister says the SKIN
has not stopped peeling of his shoulders
vet. What caused you to play such
mean trick on them ?"
"Oh, it was their own fault" said the
bov as he looked with disdain on water
! melon that was ont of season, and had no
charms in October. "You see, the night
the sociable was at our house, the minis
! ter and some of the dcacons were up IN
my room, which they used that night Tor
smoking room, and Willie they were
smoking they were telling stories about
what fun they had when they were boys,
and remember one story the minister
told about finding some girls in swim
ming once, and stealing their clothes, and
making them wait till night, and then
girl had to fix herself up with newspapers
and 90 home and send Il wagon after the
rest of the girls. The minister thought 1t
was awful cunning, so when the church
had n picnic last summer on the bank Of
the lake, remembered about it. Beats
ALL don't it, how boy viii remember
ANYTHING like it? Well, after dinner l
saw pa whisper to the minister, and they
took n couple of towels and piece of
soap, and started off up the lake about
half mile, and knew they were going
in swimming. Well, it didn't take very
long for me to catch on. i got an over
dress that one of the girls had been wear
ing 20 wash dishes, and shawl, and stole
hat belonging to the soprano Of the
choir, and red parasol that girl left
under a tree, and | went down in the
woods and put OIL the clothes, over my
pants and things, and when pa and tho
minister had got in the water and were
swimming around, put up the paraSol
and tripped along the shore like girl
picking flowers, and when / came to the
stump where they had put their clothes
didn't look toward the water, but acted
tired. and sal down on the stump and be-
gan to fan myself. You'd dide to see
pa look. He crawled up on the beech, in
the shallow water, and said, Elder do you
see that? The elder looked, with hisself
all under water except 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 peekcd through the
fan and could see all they did, while
pretended to read novel. They swan
around, aud made n noise, but WAS deaf,
and thought it wasn't any worse for me
to sit on the stump than 1t was for the
! minister, when he WAS good little boy,
to steal the clothes Of the girls. stayed
until | got tired, and didn't hear them
when thoy hollered 70 me to go away,
and after awhile they got water soaked,
and had TO do something, so the minister
broke off piece Of n tree and dressed his
self in it, and came up towards me, and
said, Madame, excuse me for troubling
you, but il you will go away while get
my clothes, will take it as a favor |
pretended to be insulted and got up and
walked off very indignant, and went back
! to the picnic, and returned the clothes,
and pretty soon they came up, looking rs
red as if they had been drinking, and the
picnic was ready to 60 home. Somebody
| told pa it vas ME, but / don't know who
1t was that gave II away. Anyway, he
! chased me clear out Of the woods with
| piece of sapling. That was the time told
you was too tired to 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 unforgivin'?"
''Oh, people are not all rs good rs you
and 1 are," said the grocery man, as he
watched the boy making a sneak on
bunch of grapes. "But cid you go to the
/ circus?"
"Circus? Well / should assimilate.
/ And 1t is wonder am not there yet.
But whatever you do, don't ask pa IL he
was at the circus, cause he will kill yon.
You see pa and drove up TO the race
track, where the circus was, in the even
ing, and after the circus was out, we
waited to sec the men take the tents down,
and after they had gone, we started to
drive home. Ii was as dark as a squaw's
! pocket, and drove out on tho race track,
and the old horse used to be q racer and
lie picked up his cara. Pa took the lines
and said he would drive, cause we were
out pretty late, and ma wonld be nervous.
/ told pa didn't believe he was on the
right road, but he said he guessed nobody
could fool him about the road TO town,
and bless me if he didn't drive around
that track about eight times Every time
we passed the grand stand, which pa