Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1864-1865, 1865-02-16
For tic Journal,
BOYHOOD DAYS.


When was boy the people di'
not do as we do now. Things wer
different. forty years ago.
Now, some old gentleman or lad
will cxclaim, "forty years ago. WHY
that's but a short time; ! can remem
ber rs well what took place then, 4.
though il were but yesterday" Thi
may be all true, but to those who ar,
quite young-who are only blossom
/ inc for man or wOmanhOOd, forty
years ago seem like long time
"Oh DEAR says the little Miss
''whcn | shall be able to say from ex-
perience. forty years ago, will l not
be old? Why, half century will
almost have passed. Mighty deeds
can be performed. and great changes
take place in half century" Yes,
YOU are quite right, for matters of
great importance have transpired III
the last half century. But the
changes which have taken place have
been so gradual, that we scarcely
note them.
1t is not my object to speak Of the
upheavings in governments, with the
various physical and metcrial changes
which have been wrought by the wis
dom and energy Of man, rs these
things have been descanted on so
often by ADLER pens than mine. l
only desire to note some OF the little
incidents and changes which have
taken place in the last forty years
For about that time | took my first
look at the external beauties of ma
ture. ] am free to confess that my
ideas at that time were not of the
most enlightened; indeed, ! was
somewhat bewildered when my
schoolmaster first informed me that
there we're n class of men so crazy.
as TO believe the dogma that the earth
reyolyed upon its axis, and the great
est difficulty about the matter was TO
know exactly what this thing called
uris was; but rs neither Of us had an
acquaintance with Doctor Webster's
dictionary, and as schoolmasters
were only required to cipher to the
rule OF three, it could not be expected
that either of us should know. The
poor fellow died many years ago,
ignorant of the meaning of axis, or
what its peculiar functions were, in
the revolution Of the earth.
Forty years ago. Yes, well re-
member when the young men took
the girls to meeting, two riding on
the same horse. Our fathers and
mothers went to meeting then, They
hitched the oxen or the horses to the
old wagon, and 4 split-bottomed
chair was placed in the wagon for
the old lady to sit on; the baby sat
on mothers lap, and Johny in a little
chair by her side; the old gentleman
sat on the near horse and drove, or
if he had oxen, lie walked and car
ried n large hickory gad. They
never went to o much trouble only
when Lorenzo Dow, or some other
great man preached.
In those good old lays. forty years
ago, the boys went Sporting, and the
first time WAS considered the impor-
tant event OF their lives, for it was
the preparatory step to hitcAi1g on,
or tying up for life. There was q
great deal of awkwardness. STAN
mering. and casting Of "ShecP S-cyes,
on these first visits; but these little
difficulties were soon got rid OF, and
the solid sparkling commenced, after
which, for economical and pruden-
tial purposes. the fire was covered
and the old lamp which gave out its
flickering light from the side OF the
Jam, was extinguished; and all WAS
dark, and nothing was heard, save
the snoring OF the old folks wko we're
sleeping in 4 bed IN the same room:
or an occasional whisper, or smack
ING of the lips, which sounded rs il
the young folks were tasting some
thing tnat was extremely good.
These were the days when General
Andrew Jackson. Henry Clay, John
c. Calhoun, and Mr.. Crawford, all
desired to he President Of the nited
States. But these days have gone.
and with them went the good old
customs of our boyhood. l should
be at a loss now to know how to-
make love in these days of fine per
lors, Gas lamps, pianos and oush- (
ioncd chairs. Nv spirit yearnetk
for the DAYS of solid sparkling, when
the old folks went To meeting TO hear
the preacher tell about the beauties
Of religion. Bu., alas, how We have
changed. We now 90 TO church To
hear n Doctor of Divinity read q.
commentary. or deliver lecture.
And young gentlemen and ladies sit
tcgether in the same pew. under q
GREAT dazzling chandelier. and make
love bv moonlight, and 90 pleasure
riding IN fine carriages. But these
thoughts make mv head dizzy. and l
naturally look back to my boyhood
davs, and wish / had been man
then.
Correspondence Of the Journal