The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-03-04
pECK'S BAD BOY.

"There now, what is your lip hanging
down that way for ?" said the grocery
man to the bad boy as he came in with
an expression on his face of sorroN,
such as the grocerynian had not seen
befores, "Brace up now and have some
style about yun. What's the matter ~
s%othing the matter with me" said
the hoy, as be looked around the gro.3
cery to see IL he couldn't find something
that would taste good to: a sick boy. II
am all hunky, but my chun, has got the
rheumatic" ,a':l-
"Well, that don't hurt you, does Il 7"
said the groceryman, With one .of bis
heartless expressions. "You don't want
to grunt until you are hurt youlself.
There is time enough for you to be iinp-
ing around when yon get click ,yonrsalf.l
I don't believe in worrying when zdy-
body else is sick."
"Well, you heart!ess old cuss you, you
never had . chpm, did your If you
ever had chum that you loved, that
bad stood BY you in all kinds of wealth
er, who would WORK his finger nails off
for you. and GO without eating aud
sleeping to make you happy, you could
never talk that way. My chum 10 just
as tender as q woman, though he was
strong as a giant afore the rheumatiz
struck him, and now he is as weak a. q
little tiny baby, and we have to handle
him just as though he was eggs. Every
bone, and muscle, and drop of blood, and
piece OF skin about bis body is just like
mas neuralgis, and sometimes they ell
ache OF once, and then they take turns
on aching, and my chuta lays there and
takes it as calmly as though be was at q
picnic, and never grumbles. He smiles
his great big old fashioned smile when
be sees me looking over the foot.board
of his bed. and when / 60 and put my
hand on his face and wipe the perspira-
ton off his forehead, the tears come roll.
ing down his cheeks, and he tries to
raise bis helpless hand to shake mine.
but be can't. and be says, Hello, old
pard,' and then he shuts his eyes, and
the rheumatic commences where It left
of and goes to grinding him up again.
Gosh, il l could pull off my shirt and
things and get into bis bed and take bis
place, and let the rheumatic get in its
work on me for day, while my chum
might 90 out and slide down bill or kick
over q few barrels, and feel bully for q
while, would enjoy it. But you can't
change works With fellow that has got
the rheumatic. Never had it, did you ?"
"No, / never had it," said the gro-
ceryman, "but I had q brother. in.law
who had it once and be cured himself
eating snow"
80, get out" said the hoy. "Since
my chum has had rheumatic. ). every old
crank has told me new cure for 1t, and
| think I will try some new remedy on
him but when I 60 to his room, and see
the good doctor who has been brought
up amongst rheumatic, and tell him Of
the new remedy have heard OF, aud he
tells me it is allnousepse,. that settles II.
The idea OF curing rheumatic eating
snow! say, isn't 1t queer about each
ing rheumatic ? 1t is like lottery. For
ty fellows may have the same chance to
draw rheumatic prize. and only one
gets it sawed of onto him Now me
and my chum were both in the same
draft OF air, and both had a right to
catch the rheumatic. ALI I got was wind
on my stomach, and | slide down hill
head irst, on my sled, and the rheuma atiz
has all blowed away from me. NY chum
went riding in coupay, and he got it.
Sliding down hill knocks rheumatic
better than eating snow. Say. would
like to run this world for about month.
BY gosh, would arrange It so nobody
but the mean people would be sick. It
seems too bad to have these painful dis
eases strike the best people 10 the world,
don't it,a II I had the running Of things,
rheumatic should never attack such a
good fellow as my chum would have
it lay for the thieves, and sand -baggers,
and wife murderers aud highway robbers,
and wife -besters, end old sharks that
never do any good nohow, and keep its
claws of of folks that never did any
harm, and always had q kind word for
everybody. But these diseases seem to
have their traps set for the best people,
and the thieves and burglars are the
healthiest OF the lot. II things were
run right rheumatic ought to be detect-
i've that would catch q horse-thief Just
as he was stesling the horse, and make
him drop the halter and send for the
doctor. If l was bossing rheumatic I
would have 1t paralyzs the arm of . man
about to commit murder or whip his
wife, and lsy him out colder than .
wedge. / would have rheumatic act as
reformatory agent instead Of going
around careless and picking onto thoi-
oughbreds. Ia have it watch a mean
man, when be was going to do some.
thing mean, and take hid Of him and
give his muscles q twist, and then let HI,
and il he kept on, take him by the neck
aud double him up and make him veil.
But I must 60 and do nv ohum's chores
for his ma, and then 60 and cit up with
him. 1t is singular how nv chum knows
when / am coming, and how the pain
begins to 60 away when / am there. l
think 1t would do you good to love some
one, old man, some one that was sick
sometimes, to whom your presence would
he sort of heaven. II you loved any,
BODY so that the touch of your hand
would drive sway pain, aud the light Of
your eve would seem like a benediction,
and YOU could cheer your friend by your
light football on the carpet. and drive
away nervousness by the snund OF your
voice, and cause happiness to take the
place OF misery when you are around.
you'd not be half as mean as you are
now, and you wouldn't go of in the
dark and hate yourself as you do now.
What have you got In this ranch that
would taste good to feller that hain't
got no appetite ?"
"0h, | don't know" said the grocery
man, sunless you try some dried apples,
dried by steam.
THAT is q specimen OF ths way you
would treat chum if you had one who
was sick. You would fire dried apples
down him. You make me tired. Hav-
en't you got anv Malaga grapes, or
Floriia orangesi Nothing but dried
apples and prunes. Bsb!' and the bad
bov went off to stay by his cbum.-
Peck's Sun.