The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-02-01
JUST A LIVELY BOY.
NOTES OF A fo-YEAR-oLo,s Execu-
TON OF AN ERRANc.
Doings of an Everyday New York Boy
with DULY the Ordinary Excess OF AMI
NAL spirits--A Reporters Notes of HIs
Franks.

Franks.
There was nothing peculiar about the boys
appearance. He seemed Just an ordinary
l0-year-old boy In knielcsrbockers, shoes,
stockings, jacket and polo cap, the latter
worn on the back OF his head as most other
boys wear theirs. He was starting out OF a
house on Lexington avenue with gallon tin
can, new, smooth, bright vessel, very
strongly made, and carried by means OF
handle Of wire at the top. Ia turning the
corner OF Fiftieth street the boy suddenly
came upon large black dog asleep in front
Of the grocery. just before he reached the
dog be let go his hold on the can and launched
it squarely beside the sleeping animal It
struck the tagging, ratified Off its cover,
bounded In the air, and sent the dog out of
his sleep with leap and yell OF terror.
The dog ran away, and the boy gathered up
the can and its cover, fastened the two to-
gether, and went on. There are iron palinps
In front of the houses on Fiftieth street, and
the boy found much sport in holding the can
firmly against them as he walked along.
This made a prodigious noise, and caused
tho can to bob necessarily from paling to
paling, denting it at every bounce
The boy was tempted to desist from this
exercise by the sight of frowsy woman
pitching along the street with uncertain
steps, and with half yard of her rusty
black dress dragging on the pavement. The
boy went up TO her with modest and kindly
air and asked her il she would not like some
beer. She replied afflrmRtively with brighten
ing eyes
Follow me- said the boy.
Ho led her to a gate in high brown
painted fence, opened it, waited until the
woman was in the gateway, and then gently
showed her in, slammed the gate, and hung
on the top Of the fence with his head Just
over the edge, shouting to her that there was
savage dog in there, and that she had bet
ter look out.
He dropped to the sidewalk an instant
later, tired of this conceit and seeing Third
avenue car bowling along, waited until il;
had passed the corner, and then yelled and
whistled for 1t to stop. 1t stopped and he
ran after it When close to II he shouted:
AN right; let her co. The car moved and
he flung his gallon can on the platform. At
the sane moment he boarded the car, He
had thrown the can in such a way that Il
went on at one side and Off at the other into
the street. The conductor pulled the bell to
stop the car. Never mind; I'll get it, said
the boy, as he plunged off the car after tho
can. The car stopped, and the boy got his
can. He picked II up, and then continued
walking hastily away from the car precisely
rs II he had never dreamed of wanting to
ride on IT, The conductor was furious, but
lie did not seem to be aware OF the mama OK.
istcnce.
AT the moment that be reached the sido-
walk he encountered young playmate, who
asked him what he was doing with the can
''Got 1t to play shin loo with. Don't YOU
know how to play ita It's the boss game
OUT
Without apparently taking time to think
what he was about to say. he explained 10
the boy, who was two years younger than
himself, all about the game, which be would
have been obliged - admit he had never
heard Of before, but which he now said con-
sisted in pitching pennies at the can, the rule
being that all the coppers the little boy put
In the can wero 'counters,n and all that he
failed to get in were 'losers.n The little boy
had three cents, and threw them at the can.
which the bigger boy had set up as a mark.
All the little boy's coppers rolled away from
the can, aud the big boy picked up them and
the can. After spending moment over an
expression of sympathy for his friend. and
promising to give him another chance to-
morrow" he strobe Off, whistling light heart.
edly
A little further down tho street he noted
the fact that candy store was in charge Of a
little girl. He opened the store door aud
went In. Hello, little grip said he, assurn.
ing wicked appearance, 81 am going 10
leave this thing behind the counter, and as
soon as have gone away 1t will burst up
and blow the whole store over to Hoboken.
and you'll be killed and your mother will be
pulver'---
AT this instant the stout German woman
who kept the store opened the lace curtained
inner doorway TO the household apartment
III the back and entered the store The boy
ceased teasing the child His face looked
blank and innocent, though the little girls
countenance expressed considerable alarm.
"Penny's worth er chewing gum, ~ said the
boy, an I'm in a hurry
He got the chewing gum and started TO re-
turn. In his haste he opened the door 40
rapidly with one hand as TO knock the gallon
can out Of his other hand. II banged on the
floor, its lid rolled off, and there was noise
beyond all estimate. The little girl had been
expecting an explosion and screamed with
fright Dropped my CAM said the boy,
and at once squatted ON the floor, spread his
legs as wide as possible, and described an arc
with one and circle with the other as he
iunged first for the can and then for its lid.
A bale OF little red wooden wagons was dis
engaged from the nail it hung on and fell
with crash that brought the German wo-
man around the corner of tho counter Just as
the boy had gathered himself and his belong
ings ard was darting out OF the door.
In bis flight he made a pretended dash at
a pile Of apples on an Italian fruiterers
stand, but neither touched the fruit nor
stopped his fight. He did not take the
trouble 70 look around In order to note the
consequence Of what he had done. He lost
something by that, for the Italian In charge
Of the stand had almost leaped out Of his
coat In his haste to defend his goods. Tho
boy ran until no came to the stairs Of an
elevated railroad station These he mounted
with only three falls, by reason Of one Of
which ho was obliged to chase his gallon can
down to the foot, where 1t had gone with
series OF bumps and bounces that aroused all
the pleasure the boys eyes had power to
express.
He made believe to forget to put bis ticket
in the box, and when tho gateman asked
him for it be pretended to indulge in a weari-
some search through oil his pockets. The
man discovered tho ticket in the boys
mouth, took it away, and offered to cuff the
lads ears, but was not half quick enough
In the elevated car be had rare fun. Ho
put the now battered and dirty can bottom
up between his knees, aud to tune whistled
between his teeth in that grating, discordant
way that only such boy can manage, he
drummed with his knuckles.
Thus the boy rode on his errnnd. Unfor-
tunately, the reporter who observed him left
him at the termination Of the elevated ridc,
80 that what he did on the return Journey
can only DO guessed at But he was evil
IDENTIFY an every day New York boy, with
only the ordinary excess OF animal spirits---
New York Sun
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