The Old Man and the Pupil

  A BEAUTIFUL Old Man, meeting a Sunday-school Pupil, laid his hand
tenderly upon the lad's head, saying: "Listen, my son, to the words
of the wise and heed¹ the advice of the righteous."

  "All right," said the Sunday-school Pupil; "go ahead."

  "Oh, I haven't anything to do with it myself," said the Beautiful
Old Man.  "I am only observing one of the customs of the age.  I am
a pirate."

  And when he had taken his hand from the lad's head, the latter
observed that his hair was full of clotted² blood.  Then the
Beautiful Old Man went his way, instructing other youth.