Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-04-15
From the Boston Olive Branch.
sOIiIoquy OF a Boy.

forlorn dirty SO much for; and there's grandpa
saws with sigh, my dear boy, you'll never be
as happy again as you are now and glandma
looks doeful, and chimes in with the golden
hours of childhood p ! wonder where the gold
Is! If got penny sometimes when was lit
tie youngster,l thought was well off,and always
felt very sorry after had spent it-that is after
the cakes were all gone, and then somebody
always ready wh-'why my dear boy, you can't
eat your cent and keep 1t TOO Well, know
that now, but there's something | don't know,
and that is, where all this great pleasure is in
being boy.
When was five years old. and had just begun
to enjoy something, | must be bundled off TO
school, and sit on high bench, and no cricket;
had 10 say A till everything looked upon, even
my mothers face, seemed one big A; and 10
crown the whole, was Ounce, fOl it took me
three weeks to get to B, and good deal longer
learning to through the alphabet.
And when | was older, had The satisfaction
of being called "a great awkward boy even by
mother, and when would Try 10 do my best,
was invariably laughed ut. II in coming into
the room, happened to upset halla dozen chars
litter was raised, and 'Oh he's boy!' con-
sidered sufficient apology. If played with the
baby, ! was sure TO make ii cry, and the nurse
would look all round 10 see if had pinched it;
boys, she sad were always full of such tricks.
Wo be TO the boy where there are a household
of girls; why, | have known my sisters to play
all sorts of tricks, ard John-thal's invariably
got the blame. And then it was, ''John you are
younger than Mary put up this clothes line; John,
you'are great boy, and must learn 10 work; Just
go down into the cellar and split the wood; John,
run up into the garrett and bring down a squash
or two; John, run out TO the wood-house and get
some kiudlings''; and on damp days the girls In
variably held a jubilee, and poor John was
! slave.
The fact is, don't believe but what it would
do the girls good, if they learned 10 go out in wet
weather as well as the boys. But they are always
crying out ''thin Shoes" and ''wet feet, and if
ask them why they don't wear thick shoes as
do, they only laugh at me, and answer, that such
clumsy things are well enough for boys.
often tell them no wonder they get cold, with
nothing but bit of lace over their shoulders, and
! piece of gauZe on their arms. 1t seems so fun
ny. too, to call boys harder than girls. Why, if
thought so-thin sacks, thin slippers, bare arms,
and bare necks, shouldn't live a month. Hardy
they are the hardest mortas alive, for they do
stand such treatment some way, though they re
mighty delicate, and seem to be proud of it; in
| fact, think good many of them had rather
have fashionable consumption, than vulgar,
| good constitution.
wonder how long boy is a boy--ther's my
| sister Louisa COME home from boarding school
finished as they cab it, at sixteen, while
I've got TO study three years longer TO know as
much as she does-that is, provided She got her
education, and am passed eighteen. Louisa is
going TO be married next week-who pretends to
call her glr' Nobody ''its Miss Lousia Sands,
that young lady," OF her, and its''my dear boy, -
by mother, and 1--WE must overlook the freaks of
a boy" by fatheT-and that's the way they talk
to me and Of meme, John Sands, that's next
to the head of the family
Sisters can do anything they please, even to
wearing false hair and every other false fixing,
and nobody says word; but The first time put
on dickey it was almost as much as my life was
worth to meet with the family Thought could
bear it like hero cut the "oh's''and ah's!. iha
pulling the points up over my cheeks, the mock
salutations to Mr. Sands, the derisive laughter
ran fIom the house while all the girls shouted az
ter me, ''good bye, Mr.. Sands, take care of that
new dlckey''
brought home a nice razOr-hox the day was
Is, and for safe keeping, hid ii in garrett between
the rafters. Vain precaution! When get home,
box, brushes, strops, powder, and razor, were all
paraded upon the table, and little scrap of pa per
pinned TO the wall on which was written, 'John-
ny dear, beIcareful little boys should not play
with edge tools; ''and all my sisters could sing
that day, was ga frog he would a wooing CO."
Never was so angry in my life, but bore it
like philosopher, only it did try me, when of
mornings fondly thought myself unobserved to
hear Cycling outside the door, and my little six
year old sister lisp, instigaed bv older and more
wicked spirits, Johnny, here's pussy wants to be
shaved''
And so it is in everything; it seems strange that
men who profess to so much dignity after they are
twenty-one, should have to submit to so much in
dignity up TO the very borders. It's curious, and
itpuzzles me; lisa fact in metaphysics that !
can't account for, and don't Supposed evt shall.
IFS martyrdom, and you won't catch me after
again!,'