The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-06-09
ABOUT POCKETS.

Pockets are q marked feature of civil
lied life. Their history is the history oi
humanity, and catalogue of their sue.
cessive contents would furnish a con.
densed biography. There wee no pockets
in the ig-leat aprons of Eden. Our FIRST
parents had no need to hoard or appro-
pirate, for the trees and herbage Of the
garden offered them freely all their SIM
pie wealth. There we're no pockets in
Adam's first blouse of skin, for as yet he
had no knife wherewith to cut tobacco.
and was innocently ignorant of the po-
tency Of the marvellous weed. But when
life grew hard and human interests con-
ficting, then the pocket became developed
institution, q receptacle for the means
OF daily solace, amssity aud convenience.
1t is . social, not selfish institution. Ii
contains supplies, not boards. The
treasures OF the lniser are buried ia q
vault; while the subsidies of the pocket
are appropriately known ~ change.
From the warmest corner comes the penny
for the street-sweeper, the toys for the
pet of the fle:silr. and the weekly
gratuity for the charities of every kindly
name.
But the most characteristic deposits are
not la money. Children prefer the con-
crete to the abstract, the end to the means.
While the little man wears the dress Of
his sister, his pocket, like hers, is filled
with cakes and candies. But very soon
he sesksla wider range Of activities, and
the swectmsats, not yet ignored, dispute
possession, inch by inch, with jews-harps,
tish-hooks, tops, kite-slrings and knives,
If he is mechanical the knife gains COM
panion in An ivory rule; if studious, IN
pencils and paper. Then comes the be-
tigeran. period. when the country boys
make investments in powder and shot,
and the young citizen is an amateur in
pistols and percussion caps. And ss war
lernAtes with peace, the tomahawk with
Ne camulet, 80 about this period, it at all,
Is developed preference for cigars and
.s6ne-cat;;" but these are noxious weeds,
that are liable to choke out all healthful
growth. just as rats leaves sinking ship,
when these fragrant treasures find their
way to the pocket Indignant moths leaYe
the young mems wardrobe in disgust
twill be we'll if the odor does not serve
to expel more desirable visitants than these.
Then follows the youths latest pocket
companion, the watch, pointing with it's
golden finger the silent moral OF the time.
For the girl. her early sugar pluus give
place TO the cheap luxury Of paper dolls,
soon followed by the familiar implement,
the thimble. Hard upon this comes the
scribbling stage, when the pocket finds
room for pencil and paper, for notes Of
many pages, duly crossed, and filed with
the fancies and follies the friendships and
fashione Of sixteen. 1t is but slight
change from these romantic misslves 10
those Of = warmer hue, the billet-doux Of
boYish sdmiysrs, to be followed, ws
trust, By the firm lines that bear the
frank ayowal Of manly love. Yet
these last will not long remain in
| the pocket; they are too precious guests
(for some inner sanctuary, set apart for
the hottest Of all. With love comes
sorrow, with sorrow religion; 80 when our
crowned woman has hidden away her
hearts treasures, hxllowsd BY kisses il