The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-15
THE STORY OF A BAD BOY.

"Once upon a time said Uncle
Moses, as the children gathered
around him, "dar libed in de aige of
forest cull'd family named White.
De ladder was a pore old man wild
de rheumaticks, same as me, and de
mudder was big and fat an went out
washin' by de day, same as yor mud
der, an dar' was TO chill'en to kick
dar' feet under de table an eat as
chillen was a boy named Gawge
Washington, an he was jest about as
old as Rastus an looked like him in
de face. 'Rastus, yo' hear me an dun
pay pertickler attenShun.
Fur mo- dan two years Gawge was
bad boy an deceived his parents.
He lied an stole money an run away
from skule, an he did many odder
bad things, while all de time every
body thought he was perfeck leetle
angel Dey hadn't found him out yit
when sunthin' happened. 1 want yo'
all to understand dat dars a. pusson
named Gu-Gu who looks out fur bad
boys He's a giant who Ibis sumwhar
In cave, an he eats raw beef an
growls like BAR. He jess goes slip
pin around at night as softly as a rab-
Dill an when he finds real bad boy
ne makes it sad fur him. Dis Gu-Gu
had had his eye on Gawge fur long
time, but he was in too great hurry TO
attend to his case. He was gibin' him
AOPC- 1aNSG udO QuI DIN IOlQ bout
Gu-Gu, but he only laughed an snap
ped his fingers an said he didn't keer
when a boy gets to dat pint yo' look
out Suthin' am shorely bound to
happen to him.
One night when dis Bad Bow had bin
BAD fur two years an was CROWN wusser
all de time. de family had chicken pot
pie left ober fur de pore ole fadder to
make his breakfast on, an he went to
Deu 70 hck MS chops ober de feast he
was to hev when he dun got up. 1t was
not two hours. howeber. befo' dat Bad
Boy Gawge sneaked outer his bed am
hogged down all dat pot-pie to de VERY
last crumb. Den he drunk up most a pint
Sb,, Eases an W. eat at up pound o, brown
de family ak out inter de alley to hide it
an sell 1t next day fur a dime. an it
chilfen. Gu-Gu was waitin right dar' in
de alley fur Bad Boy Gawge, an he
his heels together an said:
i" lie got yo' at last, Bad Boy. an yo'r
II can't tell yo' all he did wild dat
Gawge- | know he rolled him in de snow.
frowed him ober de alley fence an: back
bari hoop till dat young man jess dun
couldn't shed no mo tears. Den he shook
him back inter de house. an de change
in dat boy was sunthin wonderful. When
ne got up in de mawnin' he axed his ole
ladder to furgive him fur all his badness
an he was so humble dat he didn't fight
back when anybody pulled his ha'r From
All his time was spent in thinkin' of
goodness an how he could help his par
ents: but, alas. it was too late. Gu-Gu
had marked big * on his bare back.
away an die. He did so. Befo' he was
fo'teen years old he begun to cough an
sneeze. Dey fed him on castor lie an
raw turnips an catnip tea. but de day he
was fifteen years old he folded his hands
an died. an dat was de last of him.
Il hain't told yo' dis story to skeer yO',
but at de same time Ice dun tellin' Yo'
all to look out Badness don't pay. Yo'
may go on all right fur a leetle time. but
den Gu-Gu cotches yo in de alley an
whar am yo'? 7 don't say dat any of yo'
am bad, an 1 don't say dat Gu-Gu am
around yere. but dis am what 1 do say:
Sum of dat smoked fish we had fur sup
il I git up in de mawnin' to find it gone.
dar' will be SIGH bootjackin' time
around dis cabin dat yo' TO chill en- WON'T |
be able to spell cat, cat, fur two weeks
to cum."-(Copyright, 1904 by r. c. Nc
Clure)