Wichita eagle., 1888-02-18
JUST A LIVELY BOY.
NOTES OF A fO-YEAR-OLD'S EXECU-
TON OF AN ERRAND.

NOTES OF A 10-YEAR-OLD's ExECU-
TON OF AN ERRAND.
Doinss Of an Everyday New York Boy
with Only tho Ordinary Excess of AMI
NAL Spirits-A Reporters Notes of His
Franks.
There was nothing peculiar about the boys
appearance He seemed Just an ordinary
10year old boy in kniekerbockers, shoes,
stockings, jacket and polo cap, the latter
worn on the back of bis head as most other
boys wear theirs. He was starting out of a
house on Lexington avenue with gallon tin
can, a new, smooth, bright vessel, very
strongly made, and carried by means of q
handle of wire at the top. In 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 he let 60 his hold on the can and launched
it squarely beside the sleeping animal 1t
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
eA-- Selh oiid Ito SopCis AeioSCiiSu tlS TWO To-
gether, and went on. There are iron paIings
in front of the houses on Fiftieth street, and
the boy found much sport in holding the can
firmly against them as be walked along.
This made prodigious noise, and caused
the can to bob necessarily from paling to
paling, denting it at every bounce.
The boy was tempted to desist from this
exercise by tho 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 if she would not like some
beer. She replied affirmatively with brighten
ing eyes.
Follow me-" said the boy.
He Led her to q 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 bis head lust
over the edge, shouting to her that there was
a 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 it
had passed the corner, and then yelled and
whlstled for 1t to stop. 1t stopped and he
ran after it. When close to it he shouted:
"All right: let her CO." The car moved, and
he flung his gallon can on the platform. At
the same moment be boarded the car. He
had thrown the can in such way that it
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 the
can. The car stopped and the boy got his
can. He picked it up, and then continued
walking hastily away from the car precisely
as if he had never dreamed of wanting to
ride on it. Tho conductor was furious, but
he did not seem to be aware of the mans ex-
istence.
AT the moment that he reached the side
walk he encountered young playmate, who
asked him what he was doing with the can.
Got it to play shin loo with. Don't YOU
know how to play it, It's the boss game
out"
Without apparently taking time to think
what he was about to say. he explained to
the boy, who was two years younger than
himself, ali about the game, which he would
have been obliged to 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 were counters" and all that he
failed to get in We're 'tlosers" The little bow
had three cents, and threw them ut the can
which the bigger boy had set up as mark.
All the little boys coppers rolled away from
the can, and 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-
he strobe of, whistling light heart
edly.
A little further down the street he noted
the fact that a candy store was in charge of a
little girl. He opened the store door and
went in. Hello, little girl" said he, assurn-
ms wicked appearance, 81 am going to
leave this thing behind the counter, and as
soon as have gone away it will burst up
and blow the whole store over to Hoboken.
and you'll be killed and your mother will be
Dulver'-- !
AT this instant the stout German woman
who kept the store opened the lace curtained
inner doorway to the household apartment
n the back and entered the store The boz. |
,eased teasing the child. His face look.si !
blank and innocent, though the little girls |
"Perny's worth er chewing gum" said the |
10y, m I'm in q hurry
He got the chewing gum and started to re-
urn. In his haste he opened the door so |
-apldiy with one hand as to knock the gallon /
an Gut OF lis other hand. 1t banged on the /
loor, its lid rolled Off, and there was noise
beyond all estimate. The little girl had been
xpecting an explosion and screamed with
right. Dropped my can" said tho boy,
md at once sqUatted on the floor, spread his
egs as wide as possible, and described an arc
With one and a circle with the other as he
unged first for the can and then for its lid.
\ bale OF little red wooden wagons was dis
ngaged from the nail it hung on and fell
With a crash that brought the German wo-
nan around the corner of the counter lust as
be boy had gathered himself and his belong
ngs and was darting out of the DOOR
In his fight he made a pretended dash at
pile of apples on an Italian fruiterer's
tand, but neither touched the fruit nor
topped MS fight He did not take the
rouole 10 look around in order to note the
of what he had done He lost
by that, for the Italian in charge
t the stand had almost leaped out of his
oat in his haste to defend his goods. The
oy ran until he came to the stairs of an
ievated railroad station. These he mounted
nth only three falls, by reason Of one O:
Thich he was obliged to chase his gallon can
own to the foot where it had gone with
cries of bumps and bounces that aroused all
be pleasure the boys eyes had power to
xpress.
He made believe to forget to put his ticket
! the box, and when the gateman asked
i'm for it hs pretended to indulge in a weari-
,u,e search through all his pockets. The
ian discovered the ticket IN the bows
louth took it away, and offered to cuff the