Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-09-11
PEcK's sss BOY AND HIS PA.
BY GEORGE W. PECK.

BY GEORGE W. PECK.
''Don't speak to me- SAID the gro
ceryman to the bad boy, as he show
ed up in his shirt sleeves early one
morning, and acted familiar with his
old friend. $50 right away from
here, and please keep away, forever.
/ have overlooked about thousand
of your eccentric characteristics, be-
cause you have argued with me. and
showed me that you were actuated by
worthy motives. But this last thing
you have done, has been the last hair
that has broken the camel's back, and
henceforth you and Lare strangers,
and will take it as favor if You
will keep on your own side of the
street," and the grocery man opened
the door and pointed the way out.
"What seems TO be eating you?n
said the bad boy, as he went to the
back end of the grocery, leaving the
groceryman pointing out the open
door, sat down ON the high stool by
the desk, and began TO figure on q
piece of brown paper, with a stub
pencil. "You must be tronbled with
worms, and there is nothing better
for worms than vermifuge. What
have 1 done now, that causes you
such agony?"
':Done? You have disgraced your
self, your family, and me, and every
body. Didn't I see you 60 down an
alley last night, in your shirt sleeves,
locked arms with that niger boy who
lives down there? Don't deny it,
confound you, cause was watching
you, and the nlgger was drunk or
something, because he staggered, and
1 don't believe you were much better.
That comes of loafing around and be-
ing bad. When a white boy asso-
ciates with niggers, and takes them
home when they are drunk, that is all
I want to know: Niggers are no bet
ter than cattle, and I never saw one
that l would walk block with for a
million dollars. Now own up; didn' t
you 60 down the alley with the mig
ger, and ain't you ashamed of your
self?'
go, is that all? Yes, did walk
with the eolored boy, and if 1 had not
held him up he would have fallen
down, and l am not ashamed of it.
Here is list of groceries 1 want you
to send to that boys house, down in
the alley, if you are not ashamed to
deliver things in an alley, and here Is
the money to pay for them, and now
fly around, old bar SOAP" And the
boy took an orange and began to ex-
cavate it with his under teeth.
80, that is different" said the
groceryman, as he took the list and
began to hurry to fill it. "Maybe
am wrong, as usual, but can't beal
niggers. What was the cause of your
helping him home, Hennery!'
There was cause enough. 1 was
coming down towards the river and
saw about fifty people standing on the
bridge, watching little German child
drown, and yelling to everybody to
do something. The child had faller
off the wood dock where she was pick.
ing up chips. Just as l got there
saw this colored boy throw off his
coat and shoes and jump in, and in 6
few seconds he had hold Of the child
and SWAN to the deck with her, and
held her up. and somebody pulled her
out, and they forgot all about the lit.
tie 'nigger' as you call him and he
would have drowned in the dirty wat
er if 1 hadn't reached the butt of my
fish-pole down to HIM to climb up on
They took the rescued white chile
away, and brought her to by rolling
her on barrel, and no one though
anything about the colored boy, they
were all so glad the little girl wa
saved. When the crowd went away
somebody had stolen the coat ans
shoes of the colored boy, and he wa
not very well, cause he had pneumo
MIA in March and the smell of tn
nasty river water made him turn pale
and he was weak as cat, so 1 pulle'
off my shoes and coat and made hin
put them on, and took him home
The patrol wagon came, and the pc
licemen would have taken him hom
in that but the colored boy said b
couldn't go in the patrol wagon 'caus
his mother was sick, and if she shoul
see him brought home in a patrol wa
gon it would scare her into fits. So
took him home, and went in ahea
} and broke the news that her boy wa
all right to the poor old colored lady
, who was setting up in bed with
small wash tub in her lap trying to d
= some washing for customer Of her
5 when she looked as though she wa
q pretty near dead. Gosh, but they ar
, poor! The mother washes for Ii,
I ing, and the boy skirmishes aroun
: anywhere he can earn ten cents.
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