St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-08-23
MlSCHlEvOUS ARCHIE.

MlSCHlEyOUS ARCHIE.
Mamma says I'm q pretty good boy
In most things.
When she says that, she means that l
don't tell lies. like Billy Bangs, and
don't hook old Mrs. Blunt's plums, like
Tom Blake, and don't stick pins in the
boys, like Sam Plummer-Sam's an aw
full mean chap.-and most always mind
what I'm told.
But she saws I'm tricky boy, and
| that must get over it, for if there's
any thing that S mean and disagreeable,
| it's boy that's always playing tricks.
And wien she says it, she says great
deal more of the same kind of talk
about tone of character and self-respect,
and always being frank and never de-
ceitful, and things out Of the Bible, too.
and looks so solemn all the time, it
makes you think you d better be care
iul. She says fault fault, no mat
ter if it don't seem quite SO big as some
other boys faults.
| I'm always forgetting, though. It's
such jolly fun to hide behind the corner
of fence and jump out and make a
girl holler. l was sorry, though. one
day, when Susy Bangs jumped SO hard
she dropped pail of berries, and they
fell in the mud and were all spoiled.
Mamma made me pay for them ont of
my own money. and said she hoped it
would be lesson to me.
But guess it wasn't. for the next
day put little frog in Polly Pratt /.
desk. and when she felt, she hollered
and knocked over her ink. was sorry
again when the ink went oil over her
reader and then ran down on her dress.
I'd have given her my reader, only
I'd given that to Pete Cramp when
said "Bohr' to him when he was cross
ing the stepping stones in the creek.
and he went splash into the water, and
his reader was all wet, AMI him, too.
And when the frog jumped out Of
Polly Pratts desk. and jumped on to
Kitty Price, and she tumbled over and
bumped her head. l had to stay after
school; and the teacher asked me didn't
l think such conduct very improper and
inhuman; and l said yes. And he said
I'd surely get punished for it some day,
if didn't stop playing tricks.
have. mean I've got punished.
don't know yet whether I've stopped or
not, but l guess 50.
We were all going to the fair. to have
the biggest kind of time. There was
big carriage coming, and there'd be
peanuts and lemonade and horses run
ming and popcorn and a balloon ascen-
sion and candy and things, and tight
rope and fellows that chaw up fire.
and it don't hurt 'em bit, and every
thing.
Cousin Laura she came down all
dressed up to 60, and she looked nice
and fine, l tell you! all white and
little short, stiff things that stood out
all over her, and great big sunfowers
or things in her hat.
She sat down on a piaZZa-chair close
by the balustrade, and 1 thought what
fun it would be to pin her sash to it SC
she couldn't get up. l did. and she
never knew it.
John had fixed the hose-John's the
fellow that waters the flowers and digs
and scolds when you pick things-lean
ing up against some flower-pots SO il
would sprinkle shower on some
flowers. He was digging something,
ard his back was turned to it SO he
couldn't see, and l thought what fun
'twould be to turn the shower on him
and then run round the corner of the
house and watch to see him jump
So l gave the nozzle shove and then
run.
But it didn't 60 on John. 1t went or
'. Cousin Laura, and she jumped; but sht
couldn't jump far. for her sash wa.
pinned tight behind her, and sh'
couldn't get away. And John is dea
and didn't hear her, and before he saw
her you ought to see the starcted thing
on her dress go down. She looked lik'
white peony before, but by the TIM
John got hold of the nozzle she looked
like white string.
At first was going to run away ant
not tell twas me, but l thought tina
would be too mean: SO walked up u
Cousin Laura, and says l: cousin
, Laura, did il, and I'm awful sorry.
, Mamma looked at me sorry enough a
she went upstairs to help Cousin dres
: again. We had to wait a great while
, but at last we were all ready to 60.
But Just as was getting into tn
, carriage papa looked at me and say
3 he: Archibald, you may go to you
ruom and stay there till bedtime
, Mamma and Cousin Laura begged hin
, toilet me go, but when papa say
! Archibald" its never any use.
| There was company came home t.
tea with 'em, and there was frie
). chicken and strawberry jan and ice
cream. but didn't get anything bu
bread and milk.
a Iguess I've stopped playing tricks
| Youths Companion.