A BAD BOY

Now I came to the conclusion that I was quite a boy even in seat number two, and that seat number one I soon would capture by learning real smart. It could be done, so they told me.

Now my luck was real good, as Henry Eckel was a real dunce, and I soon succeeded in being removed up to number one, and now I had reached my choice and become quite big, even too much so!

One day my mother gave me some rotten eggs which I should carry away so they should not become a nuisance, so I took the eggs and went behind our house, and there lived a poor Widow in a small house. Now I thought, what a fine thing that would be to throw them eggs on the roof of her house to give her the benefit of that smell and she would not know where it came from.

Well, that was a grand scheme! I threw the eggs but they were a little too light!! One flew against her front door and one on the window of her sitting room and she seen me throwing the eggs.

Now she came out and I ran, but she went to the Teacher and called him to the scene of my bravery, while I watched from a small hole in our barn, and I could see by the gesticulation of the Teacher that he considered the matter a crime.

THE FIRST OFFICIAL PUNISHMENT

The next morning when I came to school I thought that the teacher had forgot for he said nothing about it, until all the exercises were over and he called me out on the floor.

First I had to take a punishment, and, Oh!, it was too bad, and then he put me before the whole school and made me out to be the worst boy in town, and I must say, had there been a mouse hole where I could crawl in, I would have done so.

So far I thought I was the greatest boy there was in town; and now I found that I was the worst one, and as the Teacher talked even, the doors of the House of Correction was open for me.

My God! I was lost, and I promised Heaven and what all never to do such again.