Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-12-19
Original papcrs..
ron rue SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
MY FIRST TIME OUT,

n
When speak Of being " out don't want
any one 70 think that mean out at the el-s
bows or the heels, or that mean out Of mon
ey, or that was hinted out of somebody's
house for I've been out Of most Of these all
my life; but | wish all 10 understand that
mean my first out among the girls Yes,
tha''s i. Who IS II that don't LOCK ba.k A.
the past ssittt tileartfiuuefings totthe time /
when he first felt his insides warm ard his I
mouth water at the sight Of a pretty girl -
I'm one that can't forget IL for | .ooli back
through the mists Of eight or ten ug years,
and that too with considerable nervousness.
70 the time when FIRST began to think was
man, anl Of setting up IN the world on
my own hook
Now, I'm not so much Of misanthropiSt
as lo wish TO Withhold my experience from
the bcardless youth now in the Gx | was in
half u score OF years ago, wncn know il may
cause them TO gro~ cautious and wise enough
to ayoidthc seedlings Of personal experiments,
and perhaps The woman halter at an untme-
ly aye. SO | have concluded 10 give them q
brief sketch Of my Start | was between
seventeen ana eighteen and lived under he
shade Of the Black Mountain, hence the in.
ference may be drawn that was once a boy;
for all know that boys can't be found in
towns and fashionable neighborhOods. Well,
the first thing that made me feel sort o man
ish or that | was as big as dad, was peep
at girl at an infair. She was farmers
daughter, and was dressed in shilling calico
without llounccs and feathers.
Her cnecks were the tint Of the rose, but
they had not been painted neither had she
rcsorted TO her mammals cotton bag TO finish
what nature sometimes fails to complete :;
and-attcntion hoys! could see no sploch-
G. of snuff on her dress nor at the corners of
her mouth so | concluded there was no
danger of her dying with the consumption
How glad was that had been born, and had
lived I'LL that time o day | began to pic
tluc out small farm, a cabin and long life
OF happiness. had not any higher aspira-
tons at that time. l was not looking for a
time to come when some old lawyer would
"go under and leave me his place and fees,
nor some old doctor to 90 deranged long
enough to take some Of his own physic and
die, that might get his practice and oils,
so that ! could afford TO marry. No! all these
kinds of distractions were out Of my way, and
nothing in it but the little word yes. SO
expected to commence useful life at once.
Having liked every thing satjs getorily in my
mind, d"taTHtined 20 nay Miss ---- :. vis;.
the first opportunity. But Imagine some
young How will ask here" v hydid he
not make az opportunity, and not wait for
one, aS he was so bad off to see herr Tc
such inquiries say that boys at that place
and in tn sc days were under their daddies
and when they left home their daddes haC
to know where they went and what kind o
company they kept More than that wonl,
have blushed deegly for my daddy to know
that | wanted to 90 to see girl, and that wa
contemplating a set up for myself before
could boast Of more than a dozen sprouts ol
the lower extremity Of my face. An oppHr
tunty soon offered. | was sent on an erran
into the settlement where the giiiivcd. BE
fore | started fixed in no rdinary manner
creased my shoes, brushed up my Sunday
go-to-mecting hat, put on my starched shirt
and best homeSpun coat never before fe!
as imporant--but st p moment am ahou
to leave ont my most important piece of at
traction, As thought; and it would be we
for all young men to study this part well, fo
II decided my fate. There WAS about tw
dozen sprouts on my chin, and pretty fai
crop between my mouth and nose all c
which bad Iet stand to snow tina, was
man, and no mistake. o! green age, ho,
glad AIN that you arc past!
A boy in his teens is in much danger ever
way, and especia Iy where the e. girls; fc
he stands good changc 70 have lis heal
SCARED and shinS brokc. but lul wanlm
ing from the main point hal rrt with;
mile or two of the der place, Thcu Lesa
TO study what ] should say; fer | was a 81,
nothing chap, ard very bashlu At las
after rolling scyeal things ,h;ough II,
mind, | settled down on the tate of T.
weather Tor beginning point. just the thir
l thought, for it Ind be-, cloud, and lr,zzi
ft1rf n FINN flaN bt Il. ,tI 4
began to wonder how the old folks would /.
ceive mc-whcthcr they woul call ne NJ
s., or Tom, or il it woulln't be Ry. SIS lti
son. | began to think OF signs that mirI
sec, that conld interpret IN my favor, h
c1ald think OF only one which had hea
said was sure one any where in tn
reighborhood. 1t is this: When yoai
man goes to see a gnl, AMI the old I'M
It's fresh candle on the table about nj
OtlocS, and starts all the younger membe
of the family off to bed, it is a sure sign
may corner" her ,ih This sign de,
mined to pay atten loa to.
How my heart thumped when ! ct
sight uf the no Use. Ii sounded - me like
phea ant in the distance But | Spurred
Iuy courage as we'll as my hors e AMI nyar
ine house. How lovely very IA ug look ,,l
tHc cocn, the shalc trees, aad cycl the pa
'aat lei 10 the SpfinS appeared dear u u
O.d TowScr r!rt me al the gate withol
Srowl, though / WAS an entire -, anger. a
bid me welcome with was of h S tail, lik
was already one Of the family. | enter
tho house, and thump, thump thump, We
my heart like it had notion to leave
place and jump out at my mouth. How
feared they w0ull hear it, even if it did
come out. In one coraer sat the old WON
with her pipe in her mouth, as is comm
with old ladies' in the country, and ut
other side of the fire place sat her daugut
the top blossom Of creation, as | thoag
dressed in homespun. saluted them W
good evening, but don't know whethc
bowed or not or il did, whether throw
my head backward or forward | dstinc
remember throwing my hand to the "doze
on my chin brushing them, and seating l
self on chair in the middle Of the room.
then throwed myself back in my seat "
one leg across the other, aud tried to look
big as the GovgInor--and | know | felt
important. But now came the pinch | III
talk some, or they will think me dumb 0
fool but how to commence | couldn't tell,
couldn't think of my beginning words.
had heard Of some people cutting their o
throats with their tongues and dy ing /
rible death, but ddnt fear that thea w
there ! sat and sat, and kept sitting, and S
ing nothing. For my life | didn't know
ft-s,.. a II 4. II l.