That Nice Boy.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 234, 24 December 1887, Page 7

That Nice Boy.

"Nice child — very nice child," observed an old gentleman, crossing to the other sid& of the car, and addressing the mother of the boy, who had just hit him in the eye with a wad of paper. " How old are you, my son ?" "None of your business," replied the youngster, taking aim at another passenger. " Fine boy," smiled the old man, as the parent regarded her offspring with pride. "A remarkably fine boy. What is your name, my son ?" " Puddin' tame," shouted the youngster, with a giggle at his own wit. "I thought so," continuod the old man, pleasantly. "If you had given me three guesses at it, that would have been the first I would have struck on. Now, Puddin', you can blow these things pretty straight, can't you ?" " You bet," squealed the boy, delighted with the compliment. "See mo take that old fellow over there." "No, no," exclaimed the old gentleman, hastily. "Try it on the old woman I was sitting wich. She has boys of her own, and she won't mind." "Can't you hit the lady for the gentle man Johnny ?" asked the tond parent. Johnny cleverly landed the pellet on the end of the old woman's nose. But she did wiind it, and rising in her wrath soared down on the small boy like a hawk. She put him over tho line, reversed him, ran him backwards till he didn't know which end of him was front, and 'finally dropped him into the lap of his scared mother, with a benediction whereof the purport was that she'd bo back in a moment and skin him alive. "She didn't seem to like it, Paddiu',"" smiled the old gentleman, softly. "She's a perfect stranger to me ; but I understand she is tho matron of an Orphans', Home, and I thought she would like a little fun, but I was mistaken." And the 'old man sighed sweetly as lie went back to his seat. He w»« sorry for the poor little boy, but *« couldn't help t.