The Dawson journal., 1884-02-14
EFFECTS OF FAILING.
HE BAD Bows PA SpoRTs A TRoT-
TER.

'i4O OIICS OLlCG- w nat
Little Thing will
Sometimes
Amount
to.
Peck's Sun.
"Whew,'' said the groceryman.
as the bad boy came in and backed
up against the stove, when a
strong smell filled the air and
counteracted the smell Of deeaye6
eggs, you haven't gone to work
IN the livery stable again have
you?"
mo, bat it is about the same.
l am taking care of na's trotter.
and its more work than running
a whole livery stable cause vo1
have to rub a trottar about all the
time, in one place or another. and
blanket him, and bed him down.
and treat him like a baby" said
the bad boy, as he took leather
trottlng boot out Of his coat pocll-
ct, and sat down by the stove to
punch a hole in the strap.
"Well, by gum, that beats me, !"
SAID the groceryman, as he put on
his spectacles and looked at the
boy, and held his nose as the
horse tunes came fresh from the
stove. Only two weeks ago your
father failed, and now he keeps a
trotter, and he is a member of the
church, too, in good standing, and
Prays regular. [ swow, | have
lost confidence in everybody"
20, you don't have to worry
about pa" said the bad boy, as he
buckled the trottiug boot around
his own ankle, and kicked his an
ELes together TO see il it would
hurt IL he interfered. aPa knows
his business. Times were never
50 good in our family as thew have
been since pa failed, unless il was
that time when he was selling
stock IN the silver mine. Wbv.
pa Is full of fun at home, and ma
sle lafts, and pa gets her every
thing she wants. He bought her
p diamond lace pin last week with
four big diamonds as big as hazel
nuts, BIZ. ma isn't going to wear
it here at home, where people
think pa is BGstad but ma is going
10 wait until they go off travelling
and paralize people at the hotels.
But / spose pa has more fun with
the trotteT than you can shake a
stick at. He paid terrible price
for the horse, cause he was learn
ed to trot without pulling on the
lines. Pa goes out on the road.
and when anybody tries to pass
him he lets the reins Law on the
dash board Of the cutter loose.
and pa soljer shuts his eyes as
though he was sveatly sleeping,
end the horse just paws the snow.
Il anybody comes along to our
church, pa begins to sing a hymn
like he was happy, and the trotter
goes for all that is out. Some of
em thinks pas mind is affected bv
his failure, and that his head is
weak, butthey don't want to fool
themselves much on pa. A man
who can settle with bis creditors
for ten cents on the dollar, and
stand them off for ten cents, and
put his money in bonds, don't need
much sympathy"
/ "Well, / guess your pa will pull
through. But what is it | hear
about you and your chum hanging
around the police court? | heard
that you and him made up a purse
/ to pay a fellows fine, and saved
hiH from going to the house of
correction. You fellows will get
to mixing with thieves, and the
the first thing you know, you viii
get pulled by the police, and salt
petre wont save you" and the
| groceryman looked wise, as
/ though he had saved two boys
from ruin by his sage remarks,
"\FeIi, sir, 4 we hadn't happen
ed down to the police court, that
morning, that boy would have
been ruined The Judge had Just
said, five dollars fine, or ten DAYS
in the house Of correction, and the
policeman led the boy out, and as
he passed me | thought his face
was familiar, and as | knew the
cops sister, he let me 90 to the
station and see the boy. He used
to live where we did, before We
came here, and his folks were rich
then, but his father has failed and
his mother died, and the boy new
er learned to DO anything. and he
has been, for a year, walking
around from town to town, eating
when apbody offered him meal
and goino without them when the,
didn't Tothar night he struck
this town, and he was hungry anc
he didH. { have ambition c1ogzh fc
even go and beg a piece OF bread
and he stood leaning against al
/ iron fence raadv la fqnnva vyLo,