St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-03-29
PECK's BAD BOY AND HIS PA.
The Boy Has Got a Job Keep
ing His Pa Out of Politics.

Get ont OF here now, pretty lively
said the groceryman to the bad boy, as
he came in rubbing his hands and try
ing to be pleasant. "a boy that will
loaf around here and eat things, and
kick when [ ask him to help me
sort over potatoes, can't stay in my
store. Git!n and the groceryman pick
ed up link OF sausage and looked mad.
: When YOU want work done, say so,
and will help yoa,a said the boy, "but
when you say let's have some fun
sprOutlng potatoes or carrying in coal'
that is too thin. But | have got all the
Been appointed pas guardian, by ma,
and | am straining every nerve to keep
pa out Of politics.
Good gracious said the groceryman
IN alrm, q am sorry for your pa, if he
mas got his head set on going into poll
ties. was in politics one year myself,
aud it has taken me five years to get
out aud pay my debts, and now every
ward politician owes me for groceries.
on can't do it as long as the fever
is on, said the groceryman. "You have
got to watch him, and when he meets
with defeat or reveTses in politics, then
FIRE some sense into him. But as long
as he is red-h0t in 4 campaign nothing
tAE SbOD L1ll1la
!.There was a ward politician that /
knew once that used to make speciality
of laboring with the Workmen. One
day he was on top of building that
was being erected, arguing with the
Jricklayer, when his foot slipped and
ne fell OFT. As he was going down be
passed hod-carrier going up with q
load of mortar You would think that
man would forget politics as he was
falling, and say his prayers, or pick out
4 soft place to strike the sidewalk, but
he didn't. As he passed the hod-carrier
Sle yelled to him Don't forget the
caucus tonight in your ward, and get
out all the boys He struck in bed of
soft mortar which saved his life, and as
they took hoe and pulled him to the
surface he scraped the mortar out of his
eyes, and as 4 doctor came up to set his
bones he asked the doctor if he had
made up his mind how to vote this year.
NO, sir, there is no room in a politician
for anything except politics. was
never so annoyed in my life as | was
once IN church when they put q politi-
clan in my pew, and when we got up to |
sing and opened the hymn book, the
politician had d Republican presid dental |
ballot under his thumb, and had to
read it all through. Dear me, if you
can get your pa out or politics DO It., II |
you have to scare the life out of him.
Let ma aud me alone for that said |
the boy. eve are experimenting with
and some night when the
is fairly opened, and pa comes |
aIOnle late at night acting crooked, he |
will see the hand writing on the wall of |
d dark room, and the skeletons and
snakes and animals and things that will
visit him will break him up. If every
politician had good little boy TO look |
after him he might be saved or killed, |
which would be better than lingering
in politics to be cut down like a flower
after he has gone through with his
property and lost his health, and the boy
went ont so draw a skeleton on the wall I
with PHOSPHORUS, aud the groceryman
sat and thought Of his own experience
as a politician.