LIGHT LITERATURE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 79, 12 January 1881, Page 4

LIGHT LITERATURE.

THE BALD-HEADED MAN AND THE

SMALL BOY.

The other day a lady, accompanied by her son, a very small boy, boarded a train at Little Bock. The woman had a careworn expression hanging over her face like a tattered veil, and many of the rapid questions asked by the boy werje answered by unconscious sighs.

"Ma," said the boy, "that man's like a baby, ain't he ?" pointing to a bald-headed man sitting just in front of them.

"Hush."

" Why inustf I hush ? After a few moments' silence : "Ma, what's the matter with that man's head ?" " Hush, I tell you ! He's bald." " What is bald ?" " His head hasn't got any hair on it." "Did it come off?" "I guess so." " Will mine come off ?" " Some time, may be." " Then I'll be bald, won't I ?" "Yes."

"Will you care?"

" Don't ask so many questions." After another silence the boy exclaimed: "Ma, look at that on' that man's head."

" If you don t hush I'll whip you when we get home " ' ** Look ! There's another fly. Look

at 'em fight — look at 'em."

" Madame," said the man, putting aside a newspaper and looking around, "■ what's the matter with that young hyena?" The woman blushed, stammered out and attempted to smooth back the boy's hair. " One fly, two flies, three flies," said the boy innocently, following with his eyes a basket of* oranges carried by the newsboy. " Here, you young hedgehog," said the bald-headed man, " if you don't hush I'll have the conductor put you off the train.

The poor woman, not knowing what else to do, boxed the boy's ears, and then gave him an orange to keep him from crying. " Ma, have I got red marks on my head ?"

" I'll slap you again if you don't hush."

" Mister," said the boy, *' does it hurt to be bald-headed ?"

" Youngster," said the man, "if you'll keep quiet I'll give you a quarter." The boy promised, and the money was paid over. The man took up his paper and resumed his reading. " This is my bald-headed money," said the boy. "When I get baldheaded I am going to give boys money. Mister, have all bald-headed men got money ?" The annoyed man threw down his paper, arose, and exclaimed : " Madame, hereafter when you travel leave that young gorilla at home. Hitherto I always thought that the old prophet was very cruel for calling the she bears to kill children for making sport of his head, but I am forced to believe that he did a Christian act. If your boy had been in that crowd he would have died first. If I can't find another seat on this train I'll ride on the cowcatcher rather than remain in here."

" The bald-headed man is gone," said the boy, and the woman leaned back and blew a tired sigh from her lips. — St. Louis Times.