Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-11-27
PEcK,s BAD BOZ.
Peck's Sun.

4 r $50 =
t.Well, well, don't look SO con-
solemn said the grocery
man to the bad boy, as he came in
and leaned against the show case,
put his hands in his pockets, and
looked down at the floor with his eyes
asot." "What's the matter Of you!
What you thinking of?'
81 was just thinking and wonder
ing if it was right for parents to en-
courage boys by telling them Of the
glorious future that is before any
American boy. the prospect that be
may ono day be president Of the
United Statss. l think it would be
better to encourage boys by pointing
out. to them how, by conducting them
right, they can escape the fate Of
running for president. What glory
is there in being president? II a
president amounts to anything he
gets shot, and il a decent man runs
for president, he is abused worse
than a pick-pocket. Washington
was all right enough, because his op-
ponents never found out any of his
cussedness, and if they did they das-
sent tell of it, for fear he would take
a shot gun and biow 'em full Of buck
shot. But the presidents. since ]
can remember, have been pretty tuff,
or got murdered. No, sir, when pa
tells me to brace up and be man,
and some day I may be president, ]
say, Pa, l amt a going to be that
kind of a man. Politics arc demor-
allzing the boys worse than anything.
Some of us boys don't know whether
We are democrats or republicans, be-
cause both parties have hired us to
carry torches. Say, what is the bes,
thing to cure a prohibitionist's head
ache?''
"Cure prohibitionist's head
ache?' asked the groceryman in as
tonishment, ''what does prohibition.
list want with a headache? Who has
got one?
''Oh, pa. 1 suppose he had the
IL. .'e,dsche in this country, and
ga A PA has belong
ed to both parties, dur1Ls the o.--e.
paign, and up to election he was pref
ty sober, for him, but all last week,
when Blaine was elected one day and
Cleveland was elected the next day,
it was too much for pa, as he had to
change parties about twice day,
and he got SO full that he suffered
He shouted until he got hoarse, and
came home one night with a rooster
tied by one leg, and he tied it to tht
bed post. Pa was feeling funny, anG
when ma asked him what he brough
home he told her it was rooster h
had been carrying around all tn
evening, and she would find it in th'
morning tied to the bed-post.
thought it was time pa was broke O
politics, so I took q big rat which ".
caught in a trap, and united the roos
ter, and tied the string to the rat, ant
left it there. When pa woke up il
the morning he woke ma up and salt
now he would show her the rooste
he carried around all night, and h
took hold of the string and pulled
and said: 'Come up here, chicky,
and he pulled the rat right up on tn
bed. Well, you'd a dide to see p
look at that rat, and l know 20,
would have dide to see ma get scared
She made one jump and landed o.
the bureau. and yelled nine kinds o
murder. Pa looked at the rat sor
of dubious, and rolled over, an
looked the other way, and then b
wanted to satisfy himself that it wa
not rooster, 80 he pulled it U
lagain, and the rat ran under the bee
clothes, and then pa had had rel
enough and he jumped out Of bed to
quick. Then you ought to hav
heard the temperance lecture ma gay
pa. She told him if he had got 6
far gone that he would carry hout
rat around in q procession half Il
night, thinking it was rooster,
was in a good condition to 60 to- ii
lunatic asylum, and unless he swo
off drinking from that minute 81
would make application to have hi
, shut up by the authorities. We
when ma gets excited she makes l
, pay attention, and SO pa took a 81
!, emn oath that he would join the pl
, hibition party. and he did, and he b
!, not drank drop for three days, a.
I he is offul nervous, and his he
3 aches so every hair stands right
straight. ] have been putting pour
ed ice on his head two nights, and
!. has got so I think can tell him W
e safety how the rat came to be Their
" 'well, I am glad your pa is goi
: to be man again." said the grocer
It man, "but you boys shouldn't hs
!" anything to do with politics. Y
9 are too young, and it might inj'
ID your regulations"
+ eyes, but we are taught that
l. highest ambition of man is to
L. president, and that we may one {
s. / occupy that exalted Office that Wa
lington once held, but we can't
8. there without being politicians,
b. We? Haven't We got to learn /
be to raek caucuses, and run in fell
* that haven't been naturalized,
M lie ahout fellows that belong to