Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-02-07
Peck's Bad Boy and His PA.

VIII eahc IL Ill oTailScS, SaIu tue
bad boy as he smiled on the grocery
man, and began filling his pockets
with the lucious tropical fruit.
Just you hold on,'' said the gro
cery man, as he stopped the boy from
taking any more. ''Herc' herring.
When anybody wishes another hap
py New Year he should allow the VIC
tim the privilege of selecting the
weapons, as they do in duel. Now,
oranges are liable to give you the
winter cholera, and if they did, 1
would be liable for damages, but you
take this smoked herring and eat it,
and will take the chances" and the
grocery man unloaded the boys
pockets and handed him the herring.
'Dear me, what free-hearted old
fellow you are" as he took off his
mittens and began peeling the her.
ring. "Here, you'd better take back
the head and skin of this herring and
give me cracker, and then I'll tell
you what brave man pa is"
"Tell me about your pa. l haven't
heard anything from him for long
time" as he handed the boy the
cracker, and sat down on half bush
el measure by the stove.
"Well, you see, last night we got
to talking about haunted houses, and
pa said there was no such thing as
haunted house. He said when any
unusual noise was heard in house,
instead of investigating it, people got
scared and would run around and
talk about the house being hounted,
and before long everybody believes
it, the reputation Of the house was
ruined, and everybody was nervous.
Pa said haunted houses was on a par
with spiritualism. and people of sense
never took any stock in either. He
said if 1 ever heard Of a haunted
house, to let him know and he would
go through 1t and investigate it in the
dark. l thought to myself, boss,
you can't fool Hennery," and l laid
for pa That evening my chum's
cat came over to visit our cat, and
when it was time to go to bed the
two cats were sleeping by the stove,
and pa told me l better put the cats
out and 60 to bed. So l took the
cats up carefully and raised the cover
of the piano and laid the cats down
in the back side of the instrument,
among the strings and petted them,
and they went to sleep, and ] shut
ldown the cover, and we all went to
bed. Pa and ma sleep right over
the parlor, and l sleep at the back Of
1.-THE house. Along about two o'clock
lin the morning, about the time cats
usually get woke up and begin to
Iprowl around, there was a faint
scratching of toe-nails on the strings,
land yowl, that sounded as though
it came from the sewer. It was evi-
!; IDENTIFY music, such as you get at
; boardlng-houses where boarder
Ipractices on the piano for her board.
listened and pretty soon there was
two 'meous' and a spit and the
strings acted as though they we're be.
ing walked on the way a cat does
when she puts her paws up in your
lap and lets her toe nails 60 through
your pants. got up and went up te
pas room, and ma was setting up ir
bed with her night-cap off, her hail
standing right up straight, and she
was trying to get pa to raise ur
, and listen, but it wasn't pas night tt
listen, and he put his head under th'
j Ibedclothes and tried to snore, but
4 knew pa was scared. I told pa tina
;, l wasn't afraid but l wished he woult
let me sleep on the lounge in hi
room and pa raised up and wanted tt
d know what the row was, and just thel
: the cats in the piano seemed to hav
= : come together for their regular even
d ing fight, and of all the music yo'
|. ever heard, that beat everything. T
e listened and said it was somebod
It next door trying to play opera, bu
: ma said something was in the house
n and told pa the house was haunted
d and for him to get up quick an
j." investigate. Pa was kind of shame
ID to be afraid, so he got his pants o
. and went out in the hall, and jus
then the cats got to fighting anothe
round. and pa rushed into the batf
lie room and closed the door, and yelle
y for me to open the window and holl'
for the police. 1 got up and aske
d, lpa, through the door, if he WI
IN afraid, and he said no, he WASH
a afraid, but he thought, seeing he WI
IS, in the bathroom he would take
"a bath, and l told him If he was afra
or 1 would go down and investigate, b
H. cause there was no haunted hou
r that had any terror for Hennery, al
ut 1 went down and let the cats out, al
they got on the back fence and had
o real sociable time, and after it w
on all still, pa came out with a towel
his hand and tried to make us belle
he had taken bath at two o'clo'
in the morning with cold water.
don't think it is right for father
try TO deceive his little boy that wa
Pa must have washed himself re
= hard, for be was pale as ghost whit
he came out OF the bathroom. but
ny was paler still in the morning VIII
1ie 80 a Az ,-.ux, f.,ll - .n< t,n;