Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-04-12
TAKING CARE OF THE BOY.


There was man named Dollinger.
father OF II small boy. The small boy
was three years and six months old and
full of the old Harry in proportion.
Now it had happened in the past that
the man Dollinger had stood much
with his nose up in the air and boosted
how he could take care of the small
boy. which the latter's name was Will
lie; and he had said that his wife, moth
er to this Willie. was not posted on TAX
ing care of children, and that he him
self could manage him without making
such fuss about il. He had laughed
at her, and Knocked her, and told her
his mother had brought up her child
rem differently and had albeit much
better And likewise he added that her
raised biscuits went more to the spot.
So in good time it fell out that the
woman would go downtown for the
afternoon. And before this the hired
girl had jumped the ranch. but the man
said it mattered not-that he would
himself take care of the boy. And
while the woman was going down the
front walk Willie whooped twice like a
wild Indian and asked his father eight
questions, for the boy hungered for in
information.
And while his mother paused before
the gate looking at a woman who was
riding past to see whether she had II
new hat or her old one made over, lit
tie Willie asked few more questions.
And it was so that all of the boys ques-
tons were short, but the answers to
them were long and exceeding diff
Plt
And it was three hours before the
woman returned, but Dollinger thought
it was three months, for his offspring
made it hot for him.
And so it happened that for the next
two minutes after the woman started,
the boy asked no questions, but drag
ged the family cat out from under the
the stove by the tail and yelled like a
man when the returns come right on
election night. And his father told HIM
TO shut up and keep still at which the
boy obeyed and set down on the floor;
and the father marked the effect of his
lirmness with great pride, and seated
himself to read an article on the tariff
question. And he had read ten lines
when the boy began yelling like Il man
with his hand caught in the door of q
burglar proof safe; and kept it up for
five minutes, bowling exceedingly loud.
till his father was glad to stop his read
ing and comfort him by galloping
around the room with him on his head.
And it pleased the boy, and hJ asked
ten or fifteen more questions; and Dol
linger fell over Il caSt-lrOn train of cars
the boy he had left in the middle of the
room. and gotup so mad he kicked the
cat over the rocking chair, which anus
cd the boy 50 much that he forgot to
insist on answers to his questions; how
belt. he thought of others.
And during the next half-hour Dol.
linger had to butter four pieces of
bread for Willie and get him u drink
nine times and sing four songs to him,
and show how o monkey looked twelve
times, and 90 into the next room TO see
what he was doing five times, and an
swer thirty-eight questions. And nc
made but small progress with his read
ing, but he kicked the cat twice. and
once he missed her and famed his right
foot on chair-rocker.
After this he tried to induce the boy
to go to sleep. and rocked him an hour,
and sang to him, in harsh, metallic
voice which needed oiling, more than
fifty different songs, and got him drink
eighteen times, and answered n ques-
ton once minute; and at the end OF the
time the boy was bright, and cheerful,
and wide awake, and rose up and said:
Papa, can't you kick the cat again
it's awful lots o. fun?" and it was so
that he kicked it.
Then the boy rode the broomstick
around the house and whooped some
more; and he tipped over the center
table and three chairs, and hurt himself
twice, and ran the end OF the broom
stick into his fathers left eye; and the
cat having gone out of the room his
father swore and straightway the boy
repeated the swear word; and his father
sat down the sugar-frkin where he
could reach it to induce him TO promise
never to use the word again. for he
trembled lest the boys mother should
hear it and straightway know It's
source.
Then the boy ate till he became
possessed of pain and yelled so that
people stopped OH the sidewalk and
talked OF sending for policeman. So
to comfort him his father got down on
his back and galloped around the edge
of the parlor like horse; and kicked
out backwards at the chairs, and paved
with his arms, and pretended to put
down his head and eat grass; and the
boy pounded him in the ribs with his
heels, and whacked him over the head
with a drumstick, and asked some
questions; and the questions were after
the manner: "Why don't you hold up
your head higher like horsep" and,
why don't you kick me with both
feetP that's the way a horse does, and.
why don't you whipner like horsesP"
and why don't you have long ears
like Harry Jones's donkey?" All of
which the man had to answer. For
when he got down he visit not that the
boy would want to ride for three
quarters of an hour; but it was so that
he al d.