The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-08-07
Peck's Bad Boy.


"Hellop said the groceryman to
the bad boy, as he came in looking
sick heart at and all broken up."How
is your muscle this morning?'
"All right enough said the boy,
with look of inquiry, as wondering
what would come next. "WhyT
"Oh, nothing, only was going to
grind the hatchet and some knives
and things this morning, and /
thought maybe you would like to 60
ont in the shed and turn the grind
stone for me to develop your mus
clcs. Turning a grindstone is the
healthiest thing boy can do.'
"Thats all right enough said the
bad boy, as he took up sweet crack
er, "but please take good look at
me. DO l look like grindstone boy?
Do resemble a good little boy who
can't say 10, and goes of and turns
grindstone half a day for some old
dufler who pays him by giving him
a handful of green currants. OR telling
him he will be man some day, and
the boy goes of one way with lame
back, while the good man goes the
other way, with a sharp scythe and
a chuckle at the softncss of the boy?
You are mistaken in me. have
passed the grindstone period, and
you will have 20 pick up another sar-
dine who has never done circular
work. Not any gr!ndstone for Hen
merry, if you please"
"You are getting too smart said
the grocery man, as he charged a
pound of sweet crackers TO the boys
father, |, "Youdon't haveto tnrn the
grindstone if you don't want to. N
. s"That,s gwhat. i thought says the
boy, as he takes a handful of blue
berries. "You grindstone sliarps,
who are always laying for q fool boy
to give taffy to and get him to- break
his back, don't play it fine enough.1
You bear on,too hard on the grind-
stone. have seen the time IA man
could get me to turn a grindstone for
him till the cows come home, by ma
King me believe 1t was fun, and by
telling me he never saw a boy who
seemed to throw as much soul into
turning grindstone as did, but ]
have found that such men are hypo-
critics. n They inveigle a boy into
their nest, like the spider does the
fly, and at first they don't bear on
hard, but just let the blade of the axe
or scythe touch the grindstone,' and
they make a boy believe he is big
ger man than Grant. They bet him
he will get tired, and he bets that he
can turn a grindstone as long as any,
body, and when the boy has got his
reputation at stake, they then begin
to bear on hard, and the boy gets
tired, but he holds out, and when the
tools are ground he is as fresh as a
daisy, when he is tired enough to die.
Such men do more to teach boys the
hollowness of the world and IFS.
tricky features than anything, and
they teach boys to know vino are
friends and who are foes. No, sir,
the best way to do is to hire grown,
person to turn your grindstone. !
remember l turned grindstone fonr
hours for afarmer once, and when i
got through he said l could go to the
spring and drink all the water !
wanted for nothing. lie was the
highest man-I-ever saw. Why,
tight! That man was tight enough
| 10 hold kerosene n .s.- &
,EtlsThafs alright. tTho wanted You
to- turn q grindstolel anyway But
what - II about y9dr pa and inA be-
ing turned /. ont of \ the church! 1
hear they scandalized themselves
horribly last Sunday ." ,nie
swell, you see, me and my chum
put up a job on pa to make him
think Sunday was only Saturday,
and ma she fell into II, and ! guess
j we are all going to get fired from
j the ,chnrch for working on Sunday.
d 5Youasee they didn't 60 to meetin' last
y dSundaya because mas new, bonnet
']hAdh't soMs, and Monday and Tues
aIdays ii. rainads and the rest of the
\ weehitswas' sonhnddy no onell called,
! f6r they eoulHhot get anywhere; SO
Monday T Slid out early and got the
daily paper, and on Tuesday my
chumhe got the paper off the steps
and put Mondays paper IN its place.
I watched when they were reading
lit, but they did MT notice the date.
Then Wednesday we put Tuesdays
paper on the steps and pa said that
!, it'seemed more than. Tuesday, but
ma she got the paper on the day be-
A fore and looked at the date and said
| itseeped 50 TO her, hut she guessed
they had lost n day somewhere.
4 Thursday we got Wednesdays paper
on the steps, and Friday we rung IN
Thursdays paper, and Saturday my
I chum he got Fridays. paper on the
steps, and ma said she guessed she
would wash tomorrow, and pa said
The believed. he would hoe in the gar
den and get the weeds out SO il
would look better to folks when they
went by Sunday to church. Well