The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-12-02
told her it was a rooster he had been

carrying around all the evening, anc
she would find it in the morning tieC
to the bed post. l thought it wa;
time pa was broke of politics, so
took big rat which we caught in q
trap, and united the rooster, and tied
the string to the rat, and left it there.
When pa woke up in the morning he
woke ma up and said now he would
show her the rooster he carried around
all night, and he took hold of the
string and pulled, and said: Come
up here. chicky,' and he pulled the
rat right up on the bed. Well, you'd
a dide to see pa look at that rat, and |
know you would have dide to see MI
get scarce. She made one jump and
landed on the bureau, and yelled nine
kinds of murder. Pa looked at the
rat sort of dubious, and rolled over,
and looked the other way, and then
he wanted to satisfy himself that it
was not a rooster, so he pulled it up
again, and the rat ran under the bed
clothes, and then pa had had rest
enough and he jumped out of bed too
quick. Then you ought to have heard
the temperance lecture ma gave pa.
She told him if he had got so far gone
that he would carry a house rat
around in procession half the night,
thinking it was rooster, he was in
good condition to go to the lunatic
asylum, and unless he swOre off drink
ing from that minute she would make
application to have him shut up by
the authorities. Well, when ma gets
excited she makes pa pay attention,
and so pa took a solemn oath that he
would join the prohibition party, and
he did, and he mas not drank a drop
for three days, and he is offul nervous,
and his head aches so every hair
stands right up straight. have been
putting pounded ice on his head two
nights, and be has got so l think | can
tell him with safety how the rat came
to be there.
"Well, l am glad your pa is going
to be man again" said the grocery
man, but you boys shouldn't have
to do with politics. You
are too young. and it might injure
your regulations.
eyes, but we are taught that the
highest ambition of man is to he pres
ident, and that We may one day occu-
py that exalted office that Washing
ton once held, but We can't get there
without being politicians, can we?
Haven't we got TO learn how to pack
caucuses and run in fellows that
haven't been naturalized, and lie
about fellows that belong to the other
party? Why, in every school in town
the boys are divided into democrats
and republicans, and We fight each
other just like me and find out mean
things boys have done, and tell of it.
and we are growing up to De model
politicians. The teachers laugh
about it, and / done see
as there is anything wrong. We have
got all the BOYS that ever stole my
thing, or robbed orchards. spotted,
and their records will come up against
them if tn Y ever run for office. o.
US boys are learning pretty fast from
the men who think they are setting
good example before the rising gen
grafton. Bet since We have read how
mean Blaine and Cleveland are, you
amt get any of us boys to have am
,ition to he president. don't think
here is a boy in orr school that
s mean enough TO run for president,
when he gets old enough
"Well, you boys are on the high
Dad to the devil" said the grocery
nan. "YOu are learning all of the
neanness of politics, aud will bring
Up in the penitentiary."
Eyes, and we are learning it from
ur respected fathers, and brothers,
nd uncles, and neighbors," said the
'oy. GAS long as they countenance
UGH demoralizing deviltry in politics,
that can you expect of the :boys ?"
md the bad boy went out to thump a
oy which belonged to the opposite
arty, while the groceryman sat down
n barrel head and began to wonder ,
hat the country would come to if the
oys growing up became as mean as |
ne men who are running politics now. ,