The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-01-27
pECK'S nan DUY,
He Joins a temperance SoeIety,

PECk's HAD BOf.
He Joins Temperance Socieiy.
PeckGsun.
"Don't you think my pa Is showing his
age n good deal more than usual, asked
tue bad boy OF the grocery man, Us be took
Il smoked herring out Of box and peeled
or the skin with broken blAded jack
knife and split It open and ripped of the
bone, threw The head at cat, and took
some crackers aud began TO eat.
"Well, don't know but he DOES look
as though be was getting old" said the
grocery man, Is he took u piece oil yellow
wrapping paper and charged the boys
poor old father with dozen hen;n2s aud
q pound OF crackers, "But there Is no
wonder he Is getting old. l wouldn't 70
through what your father has, the last year,
for million dollars | tell you, boy, when
your father Is dead, and you get a step
father, and he makes you walk the chalk
mark, you will realize what bonAnEa you
have fooled yourself out Of by killing OF
your father. The way figure 1t, your
lather will last about six months, and you
ought to treat him right, the little time he
has to live"
"WeIl, IL am going To" said the boy, as
BIZ picked the herring bones out Of his
teeth with piece Of match that be sharp
ened with his knife. "But don't believe
in borrowing trouble about a step-iather
so long beforehand. don't think ma
could get man TO step into pas shoes as
long as lived, not II she was inlaid with
diamonds, and owned brewery. There are
brave men know, that are on the marry,
but none OF them would want TO be breyet
father 10 a cherubim Ike me, except he
got good wages. And then, since pa was
dissected he Is going 10 lead different
life, and | guess It will make 8 man oil
him, II be holds out. We got him TO join
the Good Tenplars last night"
"No, you don't tell me, said the grocery
man, as he thought his trade In cider for
mince pies would be cut oil. $50 you got
him into the Good Templars, eh p
"Well, he thinks he has joined the Good
Templars, so Is all The same. You see,
my chum and me have been going TO 4
private gymnasium, on the west side, kept
BY Dutchman, and in back room he
has all the tools Tor getting up muscle.
There, look at my arm" said the boy, as he
rolled up his sleeve and showed muscle
about as big Us an oyster. THAT is the re-
suit Of training ut the gymnasium. Be.
iorp took lessons hadn't any more mus
Gle than you have got We'll, the Dutch
man was going TO q dance on the South
Side the other night, and he asked my
chum 10 attend the gymnasium, aud told
pa II he would Join the Good Templars
that night there wouldn't be many at the
lodge, and he wouldn't be so embarrassed,
and as was one Of the officers OF the lodge
/ would put It 10 him light, and he said he
would 90, 80 my chum got five other
BOYS TO help us put him through.
So we steeTed him down 10 the gym
nasium, and made him rap on the storm
door outside, and l sud who comes
there, and he said Il was pilgrim who
wanted 10 jine our sublime order. asked
him II he had made up his mind to turn
from the ways oil hyena, and adopt the
customs Of the truly good, and he SAID II he
knew his own heart he had, and then /
told him 10 come in out Of the snow and
take of his pants, because 1t was cold out
there In the storm door dog house, but
told him they all had 10 do It. That
princes, potentates and paupers all had TO
come TO It. lie asked me how 1t was when
we initiated women, and told him women
never took this degree. He pulled oil his
pants and wanted check for them, but
told him the grand mogul would hold his
clothes, and then bllndiolded him, and
with base ball club pounded on the
floor as walked him around the gymnA'
stun, while the Lodge, headed by my
chum, sung we won't go home till morn.
Ing" Then stopped IN front Of the ice
water tank and said, Grand, Worthy
Duke, l bring before you pilgrim
who has drank Of the dregs un-
Ill his stomach wont hold water, aud who
desires TO swear o. The grand mogul
asked me Il he was worthy and well quail.
ded, and ! told him that hU had been drunk
more or less since the reunion last summer
which ought TO qualify him. Then the
grand mogul made pa repeat the most
blood curdling oath, in which pa agreed, II
be ever drank another drop, TO allow any
body 10 pull bis tOe.nails out with tweeEers,
10 have his liver dug out and fed to dogs,
his head chopped oil, and his eyes removed.
Then the mogul said he would brand the
candidate on the bare back with the initial
letters Of our order, &c. t. that all might
read how brand had been snatched from
the burning. You'da dide TO see pa finch
when | pulled up his shirt, and got
ready. My chum got 4 piece Of Ice
out Of the water cooler, and Just as he clap
ped Il on to pas back burned piece Of
horses hoof In the candle and held 1t to pas
nose, and guess pa actually thought II was
bis burning akin that he smelled. lie
Jumped about six feet and said, great
heaven, what are you dewin',' and then be
began 10 roll over barrel had arranged
for him. Pa though the was going down the
cellar, and he hung to the barre, but be
was on the top half the time. When pa
and the barrel got through fighting was
beside him, and l said, calm yourself, aud
be prepared for the ordeal that is 10 follow
Pa asked how much this dun iOoling there
was, and he said he was sorry he joined.
lie said be could let ticker alone without
having the skin all burned of his back.
told pa TO be bmve and not weaken, and
all would be well. He wiped the perspira.
ton of his face on the end OF bis shirt;
and we put belt around his body,
and hitched II 10 tackle, aud
pulled him up so his feet were
lust off the floor, and then we talked us
though we were away oil, and told my
chum to look out that pa did not hit the |
gas fixtures, and pa actually thought he
was being hauld clear up 10 the roof.
could see he was scared by the complexion |
Of his hands and feet, as they clawed the
air. He actually sweat so the drops fell on
the floor. Bime.by We let him down, and
he WIS awiully relieved, though his feet
were not more than two inches from the
floor any OF the time. We were Just going |
to slide pa down a board with slIvers In to |
give him a realizing sense OF the rough |
road reformed man has to travel, and bad
got him siraddle Of the board, when the
Dutchman came home from the dance,
iullerna goose, and he drove Us boys out,
and we left pa, and the Dutchman said;
'Vot you vas doing hero NIT dose boys,
you old duller, and we're YES your pants,
and pa pulled of the handkerchief from
bis eyes, and the DutchmAn said II he
didn't get out In q holy minute he
would kick the Stuffiug out OF him, and
pa got out. He took bis pants and put
them on out In the alley, and when we
come up to pa and told him that was the
third time the drunken DutchmAn he'd
broke up our Lodge, but We should keep
on doing good, until We had redeemed
every drunkard In Milwaukee, and pa said
that was right, and he would see US
through, Il Il cost every dollar he had.
Then we took him home, and when ma
asked II she couldn't join the Lodge, too,
pa said, Now, you take my advice and
don't you ever join no Good TemplaR
Your system could not stand the racket
Say, want you to put some cold cream
on my back think pa will be differ.
ant WAN now nn'l VOnPh
The grocery man said II he wal that
boys pa for fifteen minutes he would DO
Inherent boy, or lhVre would be u funeral,
and the boy toob q handfnl Of soit.shelled
almonds and slew layer raisinsand skipp-
ed out
. koaihern Cotton Manufacturers. +,
Exchange.
Fho Southern cotton manufacturers have
lormed protective association for their
common benefit During the last year the