Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-03-22
Peck's Bad Boy.


to the grocery man. as he held a
cracker under the faucet of the syrup
keg, and then sat down on soap box
by the stove and proceeded to make
a lunch, while the grocery man
charged the boys father with gal
Ion Of syrup and a pound Of crackers.
'sWhat do you mean, you profane
wretch, talking about meeting me
later IN Hades?'' said the indignant
grocery man. 81 expect to pass by
the hot place where you are sizzling
and 60 to the realms of bliss, where
there is one continued round of hap
piness and angels playing on hsrps
and singing hymns Of praise"
"Why, pa says ] will most surely
go to hell, and I thought you would
probably be there, as it costs some
thing to get 10 heaven, and you can
get to the other place for nothing.
Say. you would be healthy delegate
to go to heaven with a lot of girl an
gels, wouldn't you, smelling of frowsy
butter as you always do, and kereo-
sene, and herring, and bar soap, and
cheese and rotten potatoes? Say,
an angel wouldn't stay on the same
golden street with you, without her
handkerchief to her nose and you
couldn't get in there any way, cause
you would want to pay your entrance
fee out Of the store.''
sSay, you get out of here, con-
denim you. You are getting sassy.
There is no one that is more free
hearted than 1 am," said the grocery
man.
go, give US a siesta. l am onto
You bigger than an elevator. When
they had the oyster sociable at the
church you gave four pounds Of
musty crackers and they had worms
in 'em, and they tasted of kerosene,
and when the minister prayed for
those who had generously contributed
to the sociable, you raised up your
head as though you wanted 'em all to
know he meant you. If man can
lget to heaven On four pounds of crack
ers done up in a paper that has been
around mackerel, then what is the
use of man being good and giving
sixteen ounces to the pound? But,
there, don't blush and cry. I will
use my influence to get your feet into
1.-THE golden streets Of New Jerusalem,
but you have got to quit sending
Those small potatoes to our house with
a few big ones on top of the basket.
"I'H tell you how it was that pa
told me to 60 to hell. You see, pa
has been reading out of an old bach
number bible, and ma and me argued
with him about getting new revised
edition. We told him that the ole
one was all out Of style, and that al
the neighbors had the newest cut ir
bibles, with dolman sleeves, and gath.
cred in the back, and they put OF
style over US, and we could not hole
up our heads in society when it wa.
known that we were wearing the ole
last years bible. Pa kicked agains
lit, but finally got one. tho'tI hat
as much right to change things in tn
revised bible as the other fellows hat
to change the old one, so I pastet
some notices and patent medicin
advertisements in it after the verses.
"Pa never reads whole chapter ba
skips around. Before breakfast, tn
Y. other morning pa got the new bibl
and started to read the ten command
ments and some other things. Th
first pa struck was, 'Verily Isay unit
yor try st. Jacobs oil for rheums
tism.' Pa looked over his specks 8
ma, and then looked at me, hut ha
my face covered with my hands, Sol
of pious. Pa said he didn't think
just the thing to put advertisement
in the bible, but ma said she didn
know as it was any worse than
have patent medicine notice next
Beecher's sermon in the religious p'
per. Pa sighed and turned over
few leaves, and read, Thou shalt nj
covet thy neighbor's wife nor his o!
if you love me as I love you no kni
can cut our love in two That Ia
part was a motto that got out Of
paper Of candy. Pa said that Il
sentiment was good but he didn
think the revisers had improved Il
old commandment much. Then
turned over and read, "Take lit,
wine for the stomach's sake, and ke
a bottle OF Reeds Gilt Edged Tor
on your side-board and You can de
malaria, chills and fever Pa "
hot. He looked at 1t again, and n
ticed that the tonic commandme
was on yellow paper and the corn
curled up, and pa took hold Of it 81
the paste that I stuck it on with v
not good and it came off. and wh
saw pa lay down the bible and ?
his spectacles in the case and rea
for the fire poker, knew he was +
going to pray. I looked out at t
It window and-yelied dog fght, and
,r- lit out, and pa followed me as far
vn the sidewalk, and it was that mo,
ia ing when it was SO slippery and p'
le- feet slipped out from under him, a
II he stood on his meek. and slid arou
w. On his ear, and the special provider
"a 49, - Al .,s,l~.s,~li. ,.,x..y -