The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-22

Dear Children
On the days I don't feel Ike hunting
the dc-tion -ary for big words Intend
to write to you, for little boys and girls
are not CRITICAL like grown folks. Crit.
l-cal means finding FAINT and laying that
you can do a thing a heap better than
somebody else Grown people arc aiwayy
critical. They think It Isl smart. ~
Well, am going to tel you some more
about myself and about what did az "a
boy. Christmas is just a. little more
than month OF and am sure that
when Santa Claus reads this-6anta
Claus sees everything, you know-he will
scratch me of his books nd not bring
me one OF those beautiful cravats
usually get Christmas.
Yes, was mean boy. but could al
ways find an excuse when did PAD.
When you don't want to ten story
after you have done something bad you
must find an excuse for acting naughty.
The neanest thing ever did was to help
kill a cat-a nice old gray cat that Wes
good to US children.
And the funny part shout 1t Is that we
boys had an EXCUSE for what We did.
When was little shaver every Ad
on our block used Il; play baseball. We
didn't have the money to buy one o.
those hard balls thay called q dollar
dead" so we wonl6 Just set q peace Of
rubber. warp yarn or stFipx around i
and then sew on leather ceTor, Hut
these balls were no good: IhaAr tnss0ee
wasn't steady. Whenever We PLAYED
"short game batter and hit at the bell
ell the stuff!ngs would come out Of It. +
This would make us mad and E~fet wenld
60 off and get the Newfoundland dps
cross the street-Jumbo was bis mama
and chase cats In the alleys.
In the house where Jumbo lived there
was lovely old gray tomcat that never
did anything wrong except stay out late
tomcat much. Sometimes, when things
wer& awfully dun we would shoot at him
with our gravel-shooters, but that was
only when the, old cat wasn't looking
That :tomoat loved us and SO did Jumbo.
but the dog loved us better.
But know you are wondering why
am talking about cat when just min
ute ago was talking about baseball
Now let me tell you, A bad boy named
Charlie who played with us and wfc
was awfy smart about making, fshing
lines and things said one cay: 'LpoA
here, fellers we ain't never going Il
make no good baseball TIL We get q ray.
hide clver for the yarn" All OF us said
"Thats fact; though none Of suR knew
exactly what we were talking about
On the sly we thought raw hide was
eather that wasn't cooked hut being as
we didn't know that folks eyer did cook
lea ther 'cept when they wanted to make
n mighty smell, we kept quiet and Wattet
for Charlie to say something else.
And Charlie. did say somethinI else
IIe roll his eye round and see that OLD
tomcat walking down the backyard fence
olrAT VNIl n L -
the tolncat, not Charlle--with my glhyel'
shooter. when Charlie up and said kinder
bossy like; "Qutt t,squit IT. don't skeel
that tomcat. We need his skin.
This made all us boys turn around lllft
somebody had hit US with q brick, VIVA
do we need that tom'aats s!4H fey!'
asked all IS fellers, sor none s Of " eoa y.
see how the tQrneAt Was selna % s.
"For baseball elVer" said Charlie
koxing awfnl wise and soleEnn Ike 4
preacher does when 30 thinks hs hAA