“You are pretty rough on the old man,” said the grocery man, “after he has been so kind to you and given you nice presents.” “Nice presents nothin. All I got was a 'come to Jesus' Christmas card, with brindle fringe, from Ma, and Pa gave me a pair of his old suspenders, and a calender with mottoes for every month, some quotations from scripture, such as 'honorthy father and mother,' and 'evil communications corrupt two in the bush,' and 'a bird in the hand beats two pair.' Such things don't help a boy to be good. What a boy wants is club skates, and seven shot revolvers, and such things. Well, I must go and help Pa roll over in bed, and put on a new porous plaster. Good bye.” CHAPTER XXIX. HIS PA GOES CALLING--HIS PA STARTS FORTH--A PICTURE OF THE OLD MAN “FULL “--POLITENESS AT A WINTER PICNIC--ASSAULTED BY SANDBAGGERS--RESOLVED TO DRINK NO MORE COFFEE--A GIRL FULL OF “AIG NOGG.” “Say, you are getting too alfired smart,” said the grocery man to the bad boy as he pushed him into a corner by the molasses barrel, and took him by the neck and choked him so his eyes stuck out. “You have driven away several of my best customers, and now, confound you, I am going to have your life,” and he took up a cheese knife and began to sharpen it on his boot. “What's the--gurgle--matter,” asked the choking boy, as the grocery man's fingers let up on his throat a little, so he could speak. “I haint done nothin.” “Didn't you hang up that dead gray torn cat by the heels, in front of my store, with the rabbits I had for sale? I didn't notice it until the minister called me out in front of the store, and pointing to the rabbits, asked what good fat cats were selling for. By crimus, this thing has got to stop. You have got to move out of this ward or I will.” The boy got his breath and said it wasn't him that put the cat up there. He said it was the policeman, and he and his chum saw him do it, and he just come in to tell the grocery man about it, and before he could speak he had his neck nearly pulled off. The boy began to cry, and the grocery man said he was only joking, and gave him a box of sardines, and they made up. Then he asked the boy how his Pa put in his New Years, and the boy sighed and said: