The Arizona sentinel., 1886-09-18
JUST FOR FUN.
The Terrible Consequences of a Thought
 less Boys Practical Joke.

The Terrible Consequences of a Thought
 less Boys Practical Joke. In beautiful park carefully kept and only lately thrown open for the use of children, the visitor often sees, holding tightly to the hand of her sad faced mother, little girl beautiful in form and feature but no light of intel lect brightens those blue eyes. Though getting to be a large girl of eleven, Margie is not able to answer a simple question intelligently or tell the differ ence between horse or a cat.
 Margie Ray is an imbecile, which means that her reasoning powers, or intellect are impaired. 1mbecil- ity is very different from insan- ity; the former means future devoid of all brightness, hopeless sameness, all is a blank to the va cant mind. Nargie Rays body grows, her hair is a bright golden, and com plexion clear and smooth, and she Is always gentle and easily controlled, yet her mother weeps bitter tears over her little girl, who must grope through life's journey in darkness, and all be- cause of big boys fun, which worked Margie such mischief.
 One evening in the winter it was showing fast and furiously. Margie was wee toddler of two years, just big enough to get papa's slippers and set them before the grate fire, and carry her small chair close beside his easy one, just where she could lay her head on his knee while he told such ''Eooful stories," and whistled lovely tunes for his ''girlie." Mamma Ray was flying around frying pink slices of ham, molding cream biscuits and bak- ing cake for baby. She didn't see the big boy of twelve, with a sheet wrapped about him and wearing a hideous false face, come creeping si- lently into the room and walk close up to happy, innocent little Margie, who stood with her rosy face pressed close to the window pane, softly singing ''papa's tummin to mamma an Mar gie."
 Mrs. Ray had just finished sprinking entrants and sand sugar over Margie's $ cake, when shrill screams from baby frightened her. She caught just one glimpse of the boy; hurrying to Margie, she tried to calm her, but the mischief was done.
 Papa Ray came home to find his daughter in convulsions, which lasted at intervals the entire night, and then they knew that Margie was in danger of being sick mentally so long as she lived, yet they hoped for better things as the years brought strength to the body.
 Said Mamma Ray: 'I will deal so gently with the child, that she may live over this and out grow it.
 Do not hope, madame. it is no use, said the physician. But mother like, she did hope for light to come to her Margie, as years rolled on.
 But Margie never grew one day older in feeling. In vain Mrs. Ray takes her to hear sweet music, to look upon beauti- ful objects, or reads aloud sweet, pure stories such as little folks like to hear; Margie's eyes do not sparkle with pleasure, and her stammering tongue is silent, she being unable to speak many words.
 The boy who for fun dressed up to scare Margie has shed bitter tears of repentance, and after long, severe struggle, the stricken parents have for given him, asthey hope to be forgiven.
 In an agony of tears Mrs. Ray some times catches the little girl up in her arms, saying: 'I'm so glad my pre- cious one, that there's light and joy for such as you in Heaven"
 Boys often think it great fun to scare little ones, not dreaming of the hurt a sudden shock often inficts upon the organization of the wee ones.
 A brave boy will not be so cruel and craven as to take advantage of the weak and young. It is poor sort of fun which causes pain to others. Let us remember that practical jokes are often cruel. -EAG Guernsey, tn Golden R1LIe