The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-10-24
A MODEL BOY.


Uy from an outside district The head
Of the family came to secure the rent
He was tall, bony man, with sun
burned face and light, tawny chin
whiskers He looked very much like
a cross between farmer and a planning
mill He explained'
What | want is peaceful naber-
hood; and the comforts of home get
myself There's the ole woman, my
wife and our boy james is but seven
years old. He amt strong, bein given
more TO study than to work; but he's
got a head on him, can tell you. But
want a peaceful naberhood, and You
look like the man that kin Just supply
the demand Well be around on time
They moved in two weeks ago. On
the close Of the third day the boy James
had succeeded in flooding the first floor
by leaving a pipe running on the second,
and had pulled off all the tomatoes to
throw against the barn. The man across
the way mildly intmated TO his new
tenant what James had done.
Gle didn't eat any of them green ter
matys, did hep inquired the parent
81 don't suppose he did, was the re
ply of the landlord, who was evidently
trying to see the relevance of the query
"And he didn't get his feet wet
hoper was the next question.
81 believe not" ," was the feeble reply
"Well, said the grateful father, "let
US be thankful that it is no worse
James must be more keerful A single
| green termaty or a pair of wet socks
might watt his little soul into eternity
before you'd know III reasons, with
james at once thank you, Sir, for
your interest in James" And he went
into the house; while the man across the
way sat hastily down on the stoop and
smote his forehead
Before he had entirely recovered from
this affair James again became c0nspic-
uous. This time be stuck a lath through
/ the glass Of the front door
| The man across the way met the par
ent at the gate that evening lie men
/ toned James exploit
"What, with his hand did he do itT.
gasped the agitated father ooh, no.
moi Not the little hand which / have
held so often in mine. Not the little
hand which, has pulled these whisllers so
many times in babyhood. OH say it
was not with his hand he broke it,"
The man across the way explained that
it was done with a lath
Heaven he praisedT calculated the
grateful father "Poor Jamesl He
amt strong, an weak folks are always
unfortunit, mostly But I'm glad he
didn't hurt himself He amt strong
boy, but I'm in hopes with quiet and
pleasant surroundings he'll improve
This is just the naberhood for James
It's peaceful, and like peace; so does
James an the ole woman" And ht
passed in TO his tea, leaving the man
across the way with stony stare in his
eyes.
The next day James turned on tn
hose, and before he was discovered hat
prostrated twenty-five pl'gits, broker
down a hanging basket, torn up th,
flower bed and nearly blinded the littl
girl from the next house, who was peer
ing through the fence at the perform
ance
The man across the way came hom
to tea and saw the ruin which had beel
effected, and he was nearly beside him
self with rage There was a look of de
termination on his face when he en-
countered, an hour later, the peaceabl
tenant coming up the yard
81 tell you, sir" he began, this las
freak Of your boy is altogether to
much, pointing to the devastation
| 4 l.. =.
quired the father
He turned on the hose" explaine
the man across the way between hi
clinched teeth.
The face Of the tenant blossomed int
a genial smile.
"Why, what an observing little felloy
he isI' said he. 81 was saying this moo
to the ole woman that your plants ough
to be watered or they'd all dry up, a
; he must have heard me an gone an don
it himself That's just like James He
80 thoughtful for one so youngw
The man across the way grew blac
.. enough in the face to strangle
81 tell you, sir, | won't stand thi
again, he declared in a voice quiverinl
, with passion What that boy wants j
Il skinning from head to foot, and if h
had the right kind Of father he'd &c
3 it before he was an hour older"
1t was painful to see the expression G
grief and establishment which settle
upon the face of the new tenant.
"What' he gasped, "skin James, littl
James, the sunshine of our home-a poe
little weakling, whose only fault is try
/ ing 10 do too muchf And you, ma
/, forty years old an weighing a hundre
. an sixty pounds, dare say, get ma
! with little boy like James; Look here
I you'll" he suddenly blurted, stretching h
stature to the utmost "l come here fC
: peace and 'l'll have peace, you betI
you're opposed to peace, why didn't yo
say so when | got the house Of yoI
Wasn't frank an open an above boar
9 with your Didn't tell you on the stal
that ! wanted a peaceful naberhooC
Why didn't you deal as honestlike wit
| p1p and own nm that Won was of a nual