Morning journal and courier., 1893-04-15
THE FLERTING SHOW. Some of Its Facts and Fancies. Written for the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.l Muu or


 A story for small boys, which every one else is requested not to read.
 Randolph May, whom for some mysteri- ous reason his school fellows called "Binks," (where in the world do boys find the curious nioknames which they bestow upon each otherD was 6 good-tempered laddie in the main, affeotiouate, kind hearted and merry. Occasionally, how. ever, the clear blue sky of Binks' mental horizon would be overspread with dull gray clouds, and Btnks, frowning and sulking, and ready for storm, would seem to be an entirely different boy from the frolicsome fellow of the hour be- fore. This usually happened when his elders took upon themselves to in terfere with his pre- arranged plans, and insisted upon his deferring some i'm portant engagement of his own for the sake of affairs in which he had not the slightest interest If he promised to dig bait with Nate Pettengill at 8 o'clock on Saturday morning his father was sure to send him to the druggists, the shoemaker's and to the express office: if he had posi- tive engagement with Ted Doolittle to go hunting for turtles his mother would calmly set aside this important business and make him walk as much as a mile with basket of fruit and note for old Mrs. Hopkinson. He had two grandmothers, three aunts, and an elder sister, who, together with 8 lame uncle, seemed to look upon him as an unsalaried messenger boy, and made demands upon his time, strength and pa- t!ence as often as once a week. To be <bav o11 Ho birthdays and Christmas and the Fourth of July 1t would be borne in upon his mind that few boys had so many thought | ful and generous relatives. If they only could have learned how to plan their af | fairs so as not to interfere with his own, they would have been absolutely perfect, 1 but this "runnin' On Aarons," as Binks l phrased 1t, at the unreasonable timee they usually chose, was what brought tho
 wrinkles to his brow, put a sharp tone into his voice and took all the activity out
 of his legs.
 "They want me to do everything!" he | would say, grossly. "They keep me goin'
 on their old Aarons all the time They
 think don't never want to do nothin' for
 myselfl" and then he would go dawdlipp
 along at suoh pace that any turtle with s l reasonable amount of ambition could easi
 ly have overtaken and passed him.
 It was very warm day in spring, ane Blnks, who had positively promised to g with the Jones boys after bullfrogs, hat
 been intercepted In tho pantry while pay ing his usual after school visit to the gin , gerbread jar, by one cf his aunts, wh t made him wash, brush and "rlick up" gen , erally, and carry a bnnoh of flowers to a invalid friend. The sight uf Binks, cleal ? and cross, moring along with his bouquet l. ! was @ very melancholy one He returne , tired out, ard threw himsalf upon th . lounge to rest.
 ! q shouldn't {: gnt 70 :tred if I'd gor + after the bullfros*," he ~,ined, in repl a to some remsrk of his mother's "Thers'
 CT been some excitement about that. Br . eood'd they do.' he asked ecornfully. d His mother looked at him sadly, but sh l. only bent over h:ia and pa'ted his fushe ,- cheek with her cool, s',tt hand, stroked h :. tumblsd hair and went away. Binks fe u little bit ashamed. lis stretched himse l out at full length snd buried his head e the pillow.
 a "I wish you would get off from me!'sai harsh voice. "Wearing all my spring outl The elasticity If my temperamel
 will never be restored, I'm afraid. Fir
 one drops down on me, then another.
 never get a chance to rest"
 Binks listened in smazement. The voit a was proceeding from ths lounge on whic it he had heavily thrown himself in his f !. tigue and i'll, humor.
 "Don't put your esnay shoes on me 's said another voics that se med to con 10 from beneath h's feet ''Ivs been stepps ,e on and walked over until I'm nearly wo1
 out. Nobody ever thinks of my comfor
 but they get me all soilsd and dusty ar
 then they take me up and beat me near B. deathl I never have any pesce" d This voice came from 1he carpet and Ia dry, husky voice 1t was. While Binks la ,f and stared, the table squesked out: "rh' 'h put everything on mel"
 n "Nobody was ever SO sat upon as am t. ereaked chair.
 f cor so pounded and banged and tortur' - as ami" groaned the piano, with mo as discordant murmur.
 t. GOT 50 screwed up and sawed in two am," twanged the violin.
 "When Tn trying to show how br ae liant I can be, they just go and turn I " downl" said tinkling little voice fro y the lamp CT think it's wickedI" Id "Ohi Ohi O-h" came in doloro sho1u. from s,s1y piece of of fhnna furniture
 sI wasn't tryingl" jtngled the lam ve "You'rs real mean to put me out"- rs Here tho clock interrupted: 'Jr h. think of my having to work every ds if. every hour, every minute, every secor
 My hands are never idle. If I try to r
 down and get little rest some one con he and winds me up. have not minut - time to myselfr'
 n ''pd strike, if were you," said 1c- lamp.
 Ter 'sStrikel" sneesed the clock, with