The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-30
Photo by Burr Macintosh.


used TO say-did you ever sleep with a
icy: / mean one OF these lusty growing
Young American devils born with the
Jerks and Il spring In his sback, who
G. ases the cat around and ties a string
10 the dogs tail all morning; robs birds
howls away the twilight hour because he
has TO wet his feet and wash them on
tie towel before going to bed, and then
spends the night kickin. snortin,' roll
me out OF bed. seem things and havin'
fits, and yet sleeping through IL all like
cub IN winter quarters, a bull in a
dope, sh",. a bald-headed deacon under a
doctrinal sermon.
The weather is extremely warm, even In
Tennessee, and IL was my misfortune to
tackle such "A kid last week. Ordinarily,
/ can lie out OF such things; but his
mother, having been suddenly called or.
leaving this colt and a pacing 2-year-old
filly OF uncertain gait on our hands, II
became an act of Christian charity on
my part 10 shoulder my share of the
burden. 1.-THE dear little fellow will be
proud to sleep with Uncle JOHN said
HIS fond mother on departing. and he
does sleep so quietly and sound-not a
bit of trouble"
/ had to write that night and had my
desk i'm my bedroom. So / put him TO
bed early. After much persuasion, In
cludlng a promisee on my part that he
should go with me TO the farm the next
day. | got him TO wash his feet an my
towel Then he proudly held them up to
the light for me TO see. ! let IL go at
that, thinking maybe the contrast of the
light was what made the bottom OF them
look like maps OF darkest Africa. And
isn't IL remarkable what spurs a grow
ing boy has on his heels? Did you ever
try to undress one? forgot to say that
this boy had chased bat around the
room for an hour or so before ] got him
off TO bed. HIs clothes stuck TO him
like a mustard plaster. ] got everything
unbuttoned and then-skinned him. He
insisted TO my surprise, on saying his
prayers. But he promptly went TO sleep
on the word "tresspasses," and as / found
| couldn't wake him, l yanked him In
by the nape of his night shirt and went
TO my work.
One OF the strangest things about boys
is, that when they go TO wigge around
over the bed In their sleep they do It
diagonally--I pulled him back 10 his place
FIVE times In the next hour. Then I'd
hear him scuffing and Topping about
always ending with long-drawn, dreary
anu ulSI11dl Hlkn lIdl NOulh fldkt Ills iOf-
tune In heavy villain act, where the
good plous but town-trodden and misun-
derstood lover longs for his lady love
then he'd settle down to Hopping again.
IL would end I'm his rounding up against
the footboard In the opposite corner. fiat
on his back every limb and arm point
ing TO its cardinal part OF the compass.
his night shirt rolled up in a comic waa
under his neck and his husky feet looking
Ia La HC an ufhf s1a
sheet, and his tout ensemble like a young
dead bullfrog floating on his back I'm the
turbid waters of Kentucky hoss- pond.
If there Is anything ugier In it's con-
sLycuousness or more conspicuous I'm its
ugliness than n boy I'm this attitude,
nave never seen IT, ! tried TO waken
him and get him back, but he only sighed
one OF those long sighs, unlimbered and
slept on.
was getting I'm the next hours work
pretty well when the most dreadful and
startling thing happened / heard n
choking sound mingled with a dolorous
wheezing: "Owoo--oo-ool Owee--we-we! 4!
O-wow--wow-wow" I sprang up I'm
amazement and rushed 10 him. He was
sitting bolt upright in bed, stony glare
I'm his wide-open eyes, cold persplration
standing all over him, his hand clench-
ed. his eyes drawn and contracted. had
never seen a boy have NJ but once be-
fore. 1t was n red-headed boy who had
tanked UP on salt and green apples. and
he had that ft on me I'm the Latin gram
mar class. / never had any use for n
Latin grammar after that. The boy
was having the same thing and I went
upstairs for the Angel-jumping ten steps
al a jump
"Quicki for goodness sake" cried. he
won't live till we can get the doctor 20
him! Came duickP'
She was trying 60 rock the two-year-
old TO sleep In her lap. She did not even
get excited but smiled. and beckoned mo
20 her, and whispered: 'Ife isn't dying.
dear; It's lust Indigestion and a poor cir.
culation. Go back 10 your work" !.
And she patted me suyingly on the
check.
This was too nuch-ss u dawned on me
how I had been taken IN and scared out
Of a weeks growth by that boy. Poor
circulation7' 7 said. "well. wish you'd
come and seei lie has circulated all over
that bed AZ least n dozen tinesi'
The Angel laughed until q walked un
the two-yesr-old and her howls drove
me down stairs.
expected 10 And the boy dead. hut I
was Disappointed. lie had topped back