The Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1882-1883, 1883-03-23
THE BAD BOY.

o'NsS S.S
open, and picked up cigar stub thai
had been thrown down by the stovo
and began to smoke ii,
Shut that door, durn you. Was
you brought up in a-saw mil'' No,
haven't got vaseline. What do you
want OF vaseliuta said the grocery
man, ss lie set tbs syrnp kog on o
chair by the stove where it would thaw
ont.
Want IL to rub on pas legs, said
the boy. as he tried 10 draw some
smoke through The cigar, stub.
Why, what's the matter with your
pas leg? rheumatism
Wuz nor rheumatic. said the boy
as ho threw away the cigar stub and
drew some cider in broken tea cup.
Pa has got the worst looking hind
legs you ever saw. You zoe. since
there has been so many fires pa has
got oriul scared, aud hs has bought
three FIRE escapes, made out OF ropes
with knoto in item, and no has been
telling as how hs. could rescue the
whole family in case o! fire. He told
us TO be cool, whatever happened, and
70 rely on him. II the house got on
Gre we were all to rush to pa. and
he would save US. Well, last night
ma had to 60 to ono Of the nsighbors,
where they were going to have twins,
and we didn't sleep much. cause she
had to come homo twice in the night
to get saffron, aud an old flannel pet
;icoat that I was broke in whom l
was kid. cause the psop'e where ma
went did not know as twins were in
the bill OF fare. and they only had
flannel petticoats for cne. Pa was
cross a. being kept awake ard told
ma he hoped when oil tho children
in Milwaukee were born, and growsd
up, she would take in her sign and
not 60 around nights acting as usher
at baby mstinees. Pa says there
ought to be law that babies should
arrive on the regular day trains, and
not wait for the midnight express.
Well pa be got asleep end hs slept
till s.out eight O'Clock in tho morn
ing, and the blinds wore closed. md
it was dark in his room, and had
waited for my breakfast till 1 was MS
hungry us q wolf, and the girl told
me to wake pa up.so wen. mp 'tairs,
ana I don't know what made mo
think Of it, but I had iomo OF this
powder they make rel fire with in
the theatre, that me and my chum
bad the Fourth Of July, and put it
in o wssh.dish in the bathroom, and
I tou ched it off aud hsllsred FIRE. l
was going to wake pa up and then
tell him it was all right, and laugh
at him. guess thero was too much
fire. or l yelled too loud, cause pa
jumped out Of bed ard grabbed a
ropo and I ruahed throiga the hall
to ray something, but pa ran over mo
and told me to save myself, md l
got to the back window to tell him
there was no FIRE just a. he let him.
self out OF the window. Ho had one
end of the rope tied to the leg OF the
washstand, and he was climbing down
the back eide ofthe shca by the kitch.
On, with nothing on but his night
shirt, and he was tho iorribltst look
ing object ever was. With his legs f.
iog and trying 10 sti& his t'e.nails
into tho rope and sid OF the house.
I don't think man Doks we'll in So
ciety with nothing Of but his night
shirt. I didn't blams The Lired girls
for being scared vhin they saw pa
and his legs come down outside the
window. and when they yellcd l went
down 10 the kitchen, aud they said
a crozy man With 20 clothes on but
q pillow case around hi' neck was
trying 10 kick the window in' and
they ron into the prlor, and l open
ed the door and le pa in the kitchen.
He asked me If ", body else Was
saved, and then Ia Shim there was
no fire, and he mus have dreamed
he was in hell or Somewhere. Well
pa was astonishsd, md said be must
be wrong in tho heal, and left him
thswing himself by he stove while !
weut after his pant, and his legs
were badly chilled, lnt Iguess moth
in was irozs. He kys; IT all to ma.
and says II she woull stay at homo
and let people run lhsir own baby
shows. there would 'e more comfort
in the house. Ma came in with .
shavl over her hen and q bowl full
OF something that nellsd frowy, and
altar aha told m mat the result of