The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-07-31
PECK'S BAD BOY
By George w. Peck.

= "Say, are you a Mason, or No
: fellow, or anything?" asked the b.
boy of the grocery man, as he went
y the cinnamon bag on the shelf ar
. took out long stick Of cinnamon bar
= to chew.
"Why, yes, of course am; but whs
set you to thinking of that" aske
the grocery man, as he went to tn
desk and charged the boys father wit
a half-pound of cinnamon.
"Well, do the goats bunt when yo1
nishiate a fresh candidate?"
mo, of course not. The goats ar
cheap ones that have no life, and W,
muzzle them, and put pillows owe
their heads so they can't hurt any
body" said the grocery man, as hi
winked at brother Oddfellow who
was seated on sugar barrel looking
mysterious "But why do you ask ?"
ooh, nothin', only wish me and my
chum had muzzled our goat with pill
low! Pa would have enjoyed becoming
member of our lodge better You,
see, Pa had been telling us how much
good the Masons and Oddfellows did,
and said we ought to try and grow up
good so we could jine the lodges when
we got big; and | asked Pa if it would
do any hurt for us to have play
lodge in my room, and purtend to
nishiate, and Pa said it wouldn't do
any hurt. He said it would improve
our minds and learn us to be men.
So my chum and me borrowed a goat
that lives in livery stable. Say,
did you know they keep a goat in
livery stable so the horses won't get
sick2 They get used to the smell of
the goat, and after that nothing can
make them sick but glue factory.
You see,my chum and me had to car
ry the goat up to my room when Ma |
and Pa was out riding, and he blat-
led so we had to tie a handkerchief
around his nose, and his feet made
'uch noise on the floor that we put
'ome baby's socks on his hoofs.
We'll, my chum and me prac-
iced with that goat until he would
unit the picture of goat every time.
We borrowed bock-beer sign from
aloon man and hung it on the back
I chair, and the goat would hit it
very time. That night Pa wanted to
now what we were doing up in my {,
pom, and | told him we were playing :
'dge, and improving our minds; and !
a said that was right, there was J
othing that did boys of our age so 9
'uch good as to initiate men, and q
ore by useful nollidge. Then my i
ium asked Pa if he didn't want to r
'me up and take the grand bumper t
sgree, and Pa LATED and said he 8
dn't care if he did, just to encourage d
J boys in innocent pastime that was a
improving to our intelllex. We had a
nut the goat up in a closet in my D
om, and he had got over batting; h
we took off the handkerchief and h
J was eating some of my collars and "
ate straps. We went up stairs and d
Id Pa to come up pretty soon and D
We three distinct raps, and when a
, asked him who comes there he 81
ust say, "A prilgrim, who wants to Al
in your ancient order and ride the C
at Ma wanted to come up, too, W
t we told her if she come in it IL
'uld break up the lodge, cause a in
man couldn't keep secret, and we til
Int have any side-saddle for the hi
at. Say, if you never tride it, the 81
xt time you nishiate man in your Ii.
lson's lodge you sprinkle little hi
van pepper on the goats beard al
It before you turn him loose. You Sc
uldn't think it was the same goat. We
I'll, we got all fixed, and Pa raped, sr
we let him in and we told him he th
Ist be blindfolded, and he got down W,
his knees a-laffing, and tied atow- W,
around his eyes, and then | turned ju
n around and made him get down tin
his hands also, and then his back pi
S right towards the closet sign, 70,