The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-02
A BAD BOY,
Who Grew Into a Sturdy Imp of Mis-
chief and Then Died.

chief and Then Died.
From the CHICAGO Tribune
He was years old, a little, sturdy. bare
legged fellow, with a round, apple-cheekec
face, defiant blue eyes and tangled, sun.
| burned hair. So absorbed was his father If
affairs of local interest, i'll attending can
cuses, arranging church meetings and con
sidering schemes fer the Christianizine OF
certain portions of Patagonia he had nc
time to spare for the child, who wandered
around town very much at his own sweet
Will, neglect being his portion. His mother
was a poor, silly, shallow creature, who.
oecked out out in cheap flnery. delighted to
parade the main street of the little town and
to leau by the hour over the counter of the
general store talking to the woman behind
IL about the fashions the latter had seen on
her latest trip to st. Joe.
Whether little Andy was born with "a
natural inclination to evil, " as the catechism
mas 1t, or whether his leaning toward de-
pravlty was acquired, is a matter OF doubt,
certain IL Is that he came to be known as
the bad boy OF the town. His pleasure
consisted OF pranks not always harmless or
merely mischievous. If a stone whizzed
through the window of citizen. IL a
youngster came home with a dexterously
depleted marble bag, or il one OF the infant
class had been induced to poke his hand
into hornets nest "for honey" it was an
accepted fact that Elihu Corners ANDY
was either the culprit or instigator. At
all hours OF all seasons ne wandered
around the streets, sometimes tagged"
by few dimiuutlve, reverential
followers, but generally alone In winter
one could see through his tattered clothes
N Hn5hO 5NF 80 III. i
the toes protrudiug from the ragged scraps
OF leather designated as shoes seemed try
ing to curl away from the frozen ground.
In summer he roved around like a vagraut
little sprite OF contrariety. darting in and
out among the farmers' teams on market
days and TO the frequent commands to "Git
outn the way therel" fliuging back per.
sonal remarks which could hardly be
classed with the retort courtesies. As a
rule hatless, the little bullet head invited
sunstroke.
Thus it was from the time he could toddle
till be came to the mature age of g. Then
perhaps 1t was sunstFoke, fer the blaze
which beat on the dull prairie town that
summer was enough to sicken the strongest,
perhaps it was the poor food ignorantly pre-
pared, perhaps it was the lack OF that love for
which children instinctively if unconsciously
pine-anyhOw, he fell i'll.
Fever" the doctor said.
The boys and girls with whom he had
gone to school, when he took IL into hiI head
to attend, spoke of the matter to their
parents with much interest.
ANDY Conner is sick" they said. Then
added by way Of distinction, "the bad boy
you know"
Hush, Dolly" one mother demonstrated
self"
II know that" acknowledged the tot una
Dashed, but he amt ever good. He's
always bad. guess he was maded bad"
Days passed. days with high winds and
swirling dust and blasts Of furnace heat
from the south. Aud in the dark, dirty
room of the little old house which skulked
among the cotton woods the young sufferer
lay aud moaned and tossed and babbled.
The doctor came, left medicine from his
leathern case, and went away-half in
dependence. half IN anger.
ut is nursing the boy needs" be said
And then, recalling the frivolous mother he
muttered: He'll get no intelligent nurs-
ing there"
For weeks the child could eat nothing.
When appetite returned he was given
greasy messes at which the weak stomach
rebelled.
LET him alone" said his father, ''he's a
bit airish.n
when he gifts to runnin' round like he
ust, his hankerin' for fried pork an sodv
biscuits with sorghum i'll come back. -
prophesied his mother cheerfullv. And 80
July burned itself away. and with August
came day OF rain. cool, gusty, refreshing
rain. Andy, who was sitting up aud dressed
as far as he was ever dressed, begged TO be-
let run out.
Go on" assented his mother, who was
sewing white lace and green roses on a hat
TO wear to a harvest supper at the church.
while the flies settled down ia swarms on
the pile ofunwashed dishes. "Seein' YOU We
oeat that reVer L guess you amt sugar to
melt in bit of rain"
So he went out and ran around his littIa
thin, bare, hot feet finding out the puddles
and FLASHING in them. He even opened his
mouth to catch the rain drops. They tasted
SO much sweeter than the water which had
stood by his bed for hours at time. When
sudden sense of feeling tired fell upon
him be sat down in delicious endowment Of
the GOODNESS, and Of the fact that his cotton
snlrt WAIST and denim pants we're soaking
wet. All at once he fell to shivering vio-
lently. He went stumbling into the house
fierce pain beating In his heavy head.
That night he was worse. Fever had again
crippled him. In two days he was dead
81 don't see," moaned his mother. Hwhat
killed him. We gave him his medicine
regular"
L1e Cou4uH nuVe uad no constitution ~
decided his father shaking his head, mot to
have stood a few weeks Of sickness.
He did not marvel at what constitution
the child must have had to have lived for
six years.
"Deadw repeated the men in town
ANDY Corners boy9 Best thing could
have happened him. He was tough "a A
pine knot, he wAsl"
And the children whispered in an awed
voice: "The bad boy is dead"
Only one mother, fearful for the future of
her own hayward Iaddie, missed from
among the others who used TO run past her
door from school the hardy, half-clad little
chap who had fought life singIe-handed and
had died fighting, and she said to herself :
He was 90 young He could not have been
very bad" And the tears filled her eyes as
she recalled the lines of our poet of the chill
dren:
The coolest man thev 20 atn,t o,oo5