Pook'n Bad Boy and His Pa.
TttK OLD HAN COMPLAINS THAT IT IS
TOO qUILT SINCE Tit E BOY BE
CAME tlO'.in, SO Till BOY ANI)
MIS CHUM MAKE IT IN
TEItKSTING FOR HIM.
"Come in the back room, Hennery,
I want to talk with you," said the
grocery man to the bad boy, us he
came iu laughing and slapping bis
hands ou bis legs. "I have heard
something to-day that has hurt mo as
much as though you was my own boy,"
and the grocerynian looked a* though
it wouldn't take many good slated
onions to make the tears come.
"tireat jewhillikens, what is it,"
nsked the bad boy, n* his face sobered
down at the look of pain on the face
of his mercantile friend. "What is
the matter? Won't your creditors I
aec< pt ten cents on a dollar? 'and the ,
Ifoy looked like a lawyer, ready to ,
help a client out, and reached into a
cinnanio') bag and hud. out a handful
or cinnamon.
' No. nothing of that kind,"said the
grocerynian. "I have concluded not
to fail. Hut !am told ou good au- j
thqrity that you have become bad j
again, and that you have been playing |
tie meanest trick on your pa that you {
.have ever played. The minister tcld ■
me he was coming iu from a country ,
funeral the other day, and bo over- j
took your pa 011 the road with a gun,
and asked bim to get iu and ride, ami j
your pa's pants were all -torn, bis boots 1
aud gun full of snow, and be was so
scared that he kept looking around all
the way to town, expecting to be shot
in tbo back. Now, what kind of a
way is that to treat the author of your
being ? Say, you will have a through
ticket to the bad place, aod your train
wi 11 leata on schedule time, and arrive !
at the grand central depot in hadea,
just as the fire is kindled. You bad>
bad boy. I have been proud of you t
and thought you would come out all
right, but now I know you are a hypo
crite."
"There, there, don't put on any
extra sadness,'* said the boy, as be
quartered an orange. "Pa is all right.
Ha wanted as to stir him up. You
see, since I have been good, pa has
been neglected, and be has become
sour, and his clothes don't fit. He
told ma tbat what be wanted was ex
citement, and be had got to have it.
He said when the boys were playing
things on bim,aad making him scratch
gravel, and he felt a* though a house
was going to fall on him every minute,
he enjoyed himselC bad a good appe
tite, and felt equal to any emergency,
but since the boys bad become good,
ami let him alone, bis life was a bur
>l) 0, In bad failed in business, and
• vrything went wrong, and uule9
there was a changesoon.be would lose
lii* mind. He said lie sighed for the ;
old tim s, when be didn't know whether
b- wa afoot or a hor.icback.and when
- imethiog was liable to happen every
minute. He said be was brought up
to bo surprised, and fall through holes,
411). I to have everything stop, ami to
I* ml a quiet life, and just eat, drink
ond dicp, with no cyclone*, no happv
laughter 01 children raising the deuce,
*> more than be could bear. Ma told
uh- about it, and the state of miud pa
in, and I felt sorry for pa. Ma
tool me to try and think up something
flixt would sort of wake up pa, or he
would relapse into a state of melan-
oolic, and. have to hire a doctor. 1
mid my churn about pa's case, and he
•aid it was two bad to ee a man suffer
1 hat way, and ws H)0-t do something
it. -ave bis Iff*. fW krr agreed to take
p ol rabbit hunting. I asked pa it
h- didn't want to go with us, and be
jumped right op and yelled, and said
it would bim half to death to
go. 1 told bim wbafe there was a
place about fear limit* out of town;
where there was Atoll (odd* of rabbit*,
but the maa that owned the farm
drove everybody off. Pa mid there
couldn't no men drive him off*, and for
us to come on. Well, you'd a dida.
I'a wasn't afraid of anybody, until ths
man hollered to him to git. You me,
we went out to the farm, ami stationed
pa by a fence, and tfty Hium and me
went on the other side of a piece of
woods, to scare rabbits towards pa.
Then we wont up ta the farm house,
where a man lived that we knew, and
told him we wanted to tear*a mm out
of bis hoots, and be said atl right, go
ahead. Ho W borrowed some farmer's |
c.otbes, and old ploq hat*, end went
around behind the barn end yelled to
pa to get off that farm. Pa said fur
uh to go to the bad place. Ho said bo
came out to liuut rabbits and by gosh
he was going to buut rabbit*. Then
my cbum and me started towards pti,
waiting through the snow, ami pa
thought we were grown men, seven
feet high. When we got about twenty
rods from pa we told him to 'git,' ami
he was going to argue with us, when
we pulled up our guns and fired both
burrels at him. We had blank cart-
ridges, but pa thought he felt shot
striking him every where,and he started
for a barbed wire fence, and we loaded
our gnus aguin and fired just as pa got
on the fence, and he yelled murder.
Yon know t!ne barbed wire fences,
don't you? The barbs catch on your
pants and hang cn. Well, pa got
caught by the punts, and couldn't get
ove-, and we kept firing, and lie drop
ped his gun in th snow, and tried to
tear the fence down, and he kept
yelling, 'For Hod's sake gentlemen,
spare my life. I don't want any of
your rabbits.' I got to laughing so I
couldn't shoot and I laid down in a
sno* bank, and my cbum kept shoot-
ing. I'a finally got off the fence and
burrowed in a snow-bank, and held
; up a piece of his shirt which the fence
i tore off, for a flag of truce, and we
i <|iiit, and he stuck up his head aud
iuw me laying there od the snow, and
pa thought his gun had gone of! and
killed one of the farmers, aud my
cbum said, 'Oreat hcviugs, you have
killed him.' At that pa grabbed his
guu aud run for the road, and started
for town, and that's where the minis
ter overtook him. Along toward*
night me and mv chum came home
with four rabbits, and we told pa he
was a pretty rabbit hunter to leave
before tbo rabhiu got to running, and
that we looked all around for him.
He looked surprised, and asked us if
we struck any corpses around on tbat
farm, and I thought I should bust.
We told him we didn't see any, and
then be told us tbat he was standing
thore wailing for rabbits, when a gang
of about fifteen roughs came and or
dered bim away, and he refused to go.
Ho said they opened fire on him, and
he threw himself into a hollow square,
the way they used to do in the army,
threw up iotreocbmenls of snow, and
defended himself, and when be was
finally surrounded and had to retreat,
he saw the ground covered with dead
and wounded, and he expected be had
wiped out an entire neighborhood. He
said it was singular we didn't see any
corpse*. I asked bim how he tore his
pauts, and he said the gang shot them
all to pieces. Then wc told him of
the joke we had played on bim, and
how wc fired blank cartridges at him
a he was trying to get over the fence,
and he tried to laugh, but be couldn't.
He was inclined to be mad at first,
but finally he said this was more like
business, aud he hadn't felt a* well be
fore since wc initiated him into the
Miu*oih, ami we could pity anything
on bim, and do anything we chose rs-
cpt let hiiu alone. So you see lam
not so bad as you think. I'a enjoys
it, anil *0 doe* my chum and me. Kb !
old rutabaga, do you ee?"
"O, yes, that is all right if your pa
likes that kind of fun, but if you was
my boy I would maul you till you
couldn't stand.'* Just then a big
cannon fire cracker that the boy had
lit and laid on the floor exploded aod
the grocery man went out the back
door bareheaded while the boy went
■ ut the front door whistling, "lie sure
and call me early, for I'm to bo qoeeo
of tho May>
A srcciis*rct stiike occurred when
the Richmond night express struck a
negro walking on the track, who got
a glimpse of the locomotive's brad
tight just before being landed in tbe
woods a dozen or two yards from tbe
road lias. His first conscious, words
ware: "For de lord's sake,boss, wbo
frow'd dat lantern at me.?"
A V KURORT girl paid 180 for a
parrot and bung it up in its cage on
lbs front porrh. Stxt day she gave
■ small boy 75 oeeU to take it away.
The boy wondered why, until the bird
suddenly stock its head on one side
and exclaimed ia a loud voice; "KIM
me—hi* me <stnek." f
Do not think of knocking out an*
Other man'* brains berauM be differs
do opinion from you. It wetld be a*
rational hrkortrfk yrnrself on the bead
becatwe you differed from yourself ten
years ago.
i D* RK srw>, lolitude and remorse are
grim and hateful company.
"Yourw Truly '
THE WA* IN Wlliru A YOUNU HUMAN
WAH KNTHARI'L'I) INTO MATHIMONY.
"A matin Grace,"raid Mr*. I'ilrbury,
ati the eat with her daughter at their
afternoon sewing, "he yew goin' to
piece a rjuilt ?"
"What fur, mother?"
"Why, ain't Mr. Van Vim been to
nee yu twicu'l runnin' lately? Ihi*!
axed ye, I s'poru, to hev bim?"
"Alt' I guv hint the mitten."
"Sho! Vou wouldn't he half sosillj !
Whv, he's wtith n dozen ornirav men.
You niought go further and fare wuss."
"Jest whaM'm goin' to dew.*'
"Did yew tell hint so?"
"No, I writ; now, mother, let me
he ; I nin't a goin* to marry no man
thai thinks I'm jumpiu'cl the chance,
I'd it heap rulher he on old maid."
I here was nothing raid for some
time; then the widow asked :
"When di<l yew write, 'Ma/in?"
"A day or so past."
"Where did you git a pen?"
' I borrored one. Meidte you'd like
to know what I raid tew him.''
"You've guessed rite,"said the widow
eagerly.
"It ain't DUtliin, to nobody but us,
mother, s'long e I didn't have him,''
said the girl curtly, and no more wa*
said, but the widow sighed heavily
and held her hand to her left aide.
Ama/.iu knew that it meant her
heart, for she had been brought up to
reaped that organ ax an intimidating
power. This time she did not rclcDt,
but wondered why ahe could not like
that big, good looking Van Vlect well 1
enough to marry him, for they wefc
poor, poor a* that historic church
mouse, and he was well off
But they were not mercenary. Peo
ple called them simple folka ; perhaps
because they lacked education and
believed everything that was told
them. But they were good as gold. I
The widow's face and form, lauk and :
ungainly, were familiar to every sick
room. They rendered unto Cmar the
things that were (Vwar's. They owed
oo man anything, though they worked
early and late to accomplish it. They
were good to everybody and every
thing, and Amatin Grace—her mother
bad named her after the hymn begin
ning, "Amazing grace, how sweet the
sound"—was really pretty. Bo thought
big, bulking, shame faotd Van Vlect, J
when be came a courting her, with his
troupers tucked into cowhide boot*, I
and a coonskin cap tied down over bis
ears. Bbe was the only girl he was
afraid of, and he wasn't afraid of her,J
come right down to it.
He was an honest, decent chap, with
a fist like a sledgehammer and a heart
like a child's. He wanted Amazm
Grace, and he couldn't imagine any
reason why hi -houid have left hr.
When begot her simple little letter of
refusal, written out with infinite ditli
cnlty aiel sj lied on a new plan of
phonetic*, he read it ovir and over,
smoked his cob pipe, read the letter
again, grinned a good bit, then folded
it reverently, and put it in the pocket
nearest his heart.
"That"* all rife, my girl,'' he chuck*
led.
A couple of month* pawed away.
One peculiarity of time in that it treat*
all people alike. It doc* uot fly from
eome and "land still with other*. It
was spring at the Van Vleot farm,
which waa one maw of apple and
cherry blossoms, and it wa* spring at
the Widow IMxbury'a little lean to
house, without *hrub or blossom. The
widow looked out of the window and
sighed. She had never heard the
"Buog of the Spirit," but she had sung
it all her life. It wa* her bread and
butter.
"There'* Van Vleet!" he exclaimed,
looking op from hr lapboard. "Well,
I declare I What bring* hltn here f'
"Praps !•*• eorofn' to aak yew to
hev bim, mother,"naid Amailn (irace t
laughing, while a sweat fluab of pink
stained her round checks.
j "1 wish he ftbould I" said the widow,
devoutly; "I should consider it was
fly in' lu the fbee of Providence not to
rosrry such a roan—if be asked me.
But Mr Van Vleet stalked in with
a brief "good day," threw an armful
of bloaaom* into the lap (>f A matin
Grace, and said, ~
"I'm raady for weddin'."
•Did you get my letter?" asked the
girl.
"Yep! It warn't to say lovio", bat
I took yer meanio'. I've fenoed in
the hall north lot, and iurnished the
house up, so yer wouldn't know it, an'
1 kah'uiate cf we kin giimarried next
week it won't interfere with my spring
work—hey ?"
Amu/in Grace sat h< k and looked
the picture of surprise. The widow
thought she heard the cat in (lie pai •
try and discreetly withdiew. As the
door closed Farmer Van Vlcet took
two little red hands in his, and bendig
forward gave Amu/in Grace an awful
smack'
"That seals (lie burguio," he said
hut the iudiguaut gill jumped up and
ordered him out of the house. To her
astonishment, he didn't budge a rlep t
"Not much ! I reckiu I've a right
to kiss yer now,'' he raid boldly ; tlun
he stepped to the door and called
loudly,
"Mother, kurn here J"
The widow must have been convent
ently near, for she almost fell into the
room at his first word, and he bestow, r
another sounding smack on her.
"It's all rite," lie said ; "me ati
Aina/.in Grace is goin' to be piarricd
and you kin dance nt the weddiu'."
"Hut—but the lett. r,*'gasjasj tin
girl. "You ain't understood a wor.
of if." •
"The fact is," said Farmer Va
Vleet, "I ain't had no eddicalion !•
s| H*ajc of, been too busy grubbin' lam
all my life. I didn't raly read th
letter to sense it but when I see how
ynu it that wat ctiuff for me. J
knowed ynu wouldn't hev writ thu
way to a feller ye weren't goin' t.
marry. I don't know much abou
gals, but I know that I"
When it was all settled that tbej
were to lie married the next week,
Sunday, Farmer Van Vleet r<)dc of!
anil the two women put away the lap.
hoard and reeigned the uuiv< ra! shirt
making business forever.
"I'd give the world to know what I
writ to bim," said Amar.in Grace.
"The world ain't yourn tew give,'
corrected her mother, piously.
"I'm sart'in sore I told him no,"
said the girl, "but I reckon he was
bound to hev me, an' I dunno er. I'm
half sorry, either, now."
When tbey were married and Ami
zio Grace and ber mother had gone
out to tbe new home in the smart new
spring wagon, the bride returned to
the subject of tbe letter.
"I hev a burnio' cur'osily to know
what I writ," she said, "cause" t blush
ing prettily) "I tbottgbl I riffused
you."
"O ho, I gucs/ not, sai'l the trium
phant lover. "Look-a here, Mrs. Van
Vlcet, here's the letter. Tain't but a
few words. There ain't no 'lirular
mcauin' in them, hut its the signing of
them. Do you see that? Tbem two
words would stand in law to mean
plain yes; there's no gitlin' amund
them !"
A ma/in Grace and In r mother both
read nt once :
",1/r. Fan |Yrf—dear sir: I am
sory to Inform you that your atten
shuns arc in nowise 11 •*si || rkal' *1
Yurw trcwly,
"AMA/IN GKAC E KllAßl'ltY."
"That fetched me," saitl Mr. Van
Vleet, looking admiringly at bis new
possession. "I doau'l kno' imie.ii, but
I reckon I kin tell wliaf a girl mean*
when she writes to a feller and signs
hervlf 'Yours trewly.' "
Havtncr Money
"be here, sir," exclaimed the presi
dent of a Western railroad, "I under
stand that you stopped your train be
tween stations to let (df a man who
had got on tbe wrong road instead of
going right to the next station."
"Yes. sir." .
"Don't you know that by so doing
yon took tbe risk of being run into by
tbe through express ?"
"Yea, sir."
"And that if an accident had occur
red it would have cost tbe company
thousands of dollar* ?"
■ "Yes, sir."
"Rut. sir, by puttiag off that man I
saved tbe company ao end of money
which you would have bad to pay for
extra coal to pull the overloaded
train."
"flow do you make that out? What
difference would one ntan make ? Who
was be, anyhow ?"
• David Davia."
"You did right. Go baek to your
post."
"<>H haven't I got tbe sand f' rings
the an gar dealer.
Semcatsi few tb Casvaa I'lwtur.
kn> we .
loili* )cm u> mb. • ihssplMSMaMsf By
-TOOTH BRU SHES!— *
We have just received
Direct From the Importer, •
i And which we are offering VERY ROW. Our aim is to keep the REST /
GOODS and sell them at f'M)BK I'RK.'IvS FORri'ASH
AT
GREEN'S PHARMACY,
Bush House Block,
We have Telephow Connection.
It. tlarm-n .F ,V>U"* Neu< Store.
Garman dt Son.
E A l I EM,
do not think, because the cuts repre
sent only gentlemen's wear, that we
have not been particularly careful to
select an elegant line of goods wiped
ally auitod to you. You will find it
to your advantage to call and if we
are not able to supply y>u from our
choice and varied stock, it will be a
• inall matter for us to order what you
may need. We think we are better able
to meet your wants than any store in ■
Bellefont*.
If Pi Bki.IJCTOWTK, p 4i
km ~^ n ' '
I.yon f fV., Merchant*. AUrykmy.Ht., IMUfonte, Pa*
SWAPS FOR YOU !
ill R WAY of Selling off A LARGE WINTER STOCK
AT SHORT NOTICE. '
$40,000 Worth of Dry Goods
Clothing, Boots and Shoes, Hats ad Caps,
A''. t slm.Hii lii>)( fiiiac K".l thin tltrnufh to the end: there ia something
that will strike you.
I hen oonic widi jour aUcckels, t'ome pooh because we will offer K.metbicg
fit l-. than we can replace them for after tbey are all •old. We can't pick up
•tieJi bargainseverr day. Juat khiw chancer.
•
w ■> . |ir • Pm- I>.e~ ... ljf a rt>>. lsrk.r Mr
AttrtM W ■ V i
i>K H.r I" I ... ....... ™_. Jctjui
.Hi" U l iel ► • rard
wan. n~t err—l>
Hsnfe* Howl. „ __ V a rrS
a* a rail',. ...... c a iaiS
0T Sfclrtlt> _ ani ar a fart
PlaM TUassts .... |.r a >ard
*~A IWI. t.iora ~ ~ lar a aarS
Tk.al.tr *UUk Catharie Or • tar*
A It-awl Stark and (Mont lettiMfe .. Kit a jard
*•4 Maid rtaanftt . .... Iktyard.
Mtte llfaiwn ......... ttr.
Hi atal CaaliWW., Stack aad *nd at treat IA Charter IW utakar riaa.
Statd Prrar ._— a. K and tor a yard.
Api'Mna A Wostts .... 7 1-fr a aard.
tud atl-wai 1 flaaarta Traai ... IV p KJ
(tar Salra Waaler Slack ltk at. k<ad 7V. Rtarhrr ft no rod I ft. Igk
OaaM RalraWaalllt Black Silk „ tl m Kta—bar*|l i l
(tar tot Kltra WaMtlr Blark Silk. I tl •• 5 00
lla* M Katra naar; Safari- Wualttr Blark Silk . I Ik. " IMS 2OC
Color od 'llka boa a art p. ...... M. . ..... ........... TV. In til tka aea ahikSra
Ik.tarrd Stlka Sow _ ..... ... ..... Mk a rard at.
A aaar a4 aataarkar aaaim atlallk akala SMraaa TV dtla |aior I M
TV iaart matty ! It yd wtdlk all awl Dwa CUdh aad riaaaal tl ' par rd Sam aal alaaarbara 111
Silk erak<tffaS.ot.r..r*..."w...o,.. ■ .0.... . TV ap.
Vlk I 00 aad I as.
Yalaaaaaa boat ZZ SV as
WkW?s!aakaaVwr^r l "' ' - tkn paur a)
uy*Mleaa < sJKjZfI . ' — fir **
Ck'tdrrat'c llaaa 4 |Ar Ibr™. - SV
■an-a Sac4t4 tbtrfca.. SV
Wrn'a Waal woar IV. ElrrahirrMr
M.o-a Van rtwrSrwelrai alt-wS ll.w. IV a |*ir
SKoea at One-Half Price.
Ledfea'Sbewe.gvod A'Wlf.. ... ...... —_ I (epat pair
• CUTSbIa.-V ....... It& par pair
CVMrra'a Skuta WM. *. * aaidV a pair
l abta* Sauna SkaaaSkaa tuo < m I So pat pair a#
Battna SSoaa. Ptnrat WmlHj ...... ...... 1 SO a pair
laSaf Sottas Meat, Swt WaaUita. trarraandl I AO and t OP '
Üblaa' Button lt"r,lrrr h S<d t SO to t Sp. Wrtrkt r Vet S.'kiatai atki
tua> Wer Winter TtnU TV, Si tin, 1 r. aad I an err aalr m
Cklldrea'a Sarti Vob I toap. Sot'a (miMjata )T Ot art aaV
HaakOr.rraaiat SB, 4 Sn i M.IMa. HraTt ill-awfSatta beat •OS ap .
Ura'a ttar Sou 3 Ala parr. Maa'a A Haarp Saadt tSa pait. Wny> Bw*il PS aad I IS pet peW-
Udlra'CWatat and (M nMa IV a pair Mm .Caraer stack Okrta VoaiBt ap.
*- -• *- - - •
—' • " r"*™ * |
Wa kara no arac* tu an ait or, all Uar tanpuna T Itarr Kat we kare PaHr Tknavl f>ttllal*p
Worik*mmk -ki k atedtrrv ta.net ap i-ab &3T^
BKND FOR SAMPLES.
Call an at in* RaerWea*?. Meaty Watoraad It patthaat aa> vMabaVtp.
LYON dk dO.
Beltefontep Pa.