Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-12-31
ssI wish 4 Were a Boy
By MRS. JENNIE T. nAzES.


| have always been wishing that [ were
something other than 1 AMI could not
tell what, exactly; but new it has come
10 me. a+a
wish were aboy.-not less than eight
nor more than twelve-to wear battered
hat and old patched trowsers; to have my
clustering brown locks. flowing free and
wild. and 10 have my face and hands tand
to nut-brown hue; to get up In the fresh
June mornings, and go wading through
the1iewey clover to fetch the gentle, fra>
grant breathed COWS; TO catch the gray
colt and go careering through the fields as
swift as the wind; to find the first birds
nest, and to know where The earliest of
strawberries grow; to lie under tasseled
chestnut tree all the long sunny afternoons,
and watch the fleecy clouds go by, and
dream they are mighty wh;e>winged YES
sells bound to foreign shores; to imagine
myself On enc of the ships bound for a
distant cline, where shall ride upon ele>
phonts, and h.nt tigers ard lions,-to be
shipwrecked on some desolate island, and
live like Robinson Crusoe, and have a Man
Friday-to be taken off the island by scme
friendly ship and brought home TO father
aud mother, (and, best of all, 10 Ned Hig-
gins) and tell them of the wondrous sights
Eve seen, the daring deeds I've done, and
the hair breadth escapes I've had-to ope
my sea>chest aud display TO enyious, ad-
miring eyes the many curious, brilliant
shells, and other rare treasures Of the sea,
of which am the fortunate and happy
possessor; to he recalled TO the reali-
ty of things about me, by the blowing Oh a
lin horn, calling the men home 10 supper;
to spring up and bound away to the house
to find supper ready; 10 sit at table with
all the dear ones, and eat the wholesome
food with an appetite unspoiled by art; TO
seek my low cot in the chamber before
the golden sunset has faded from the sky.
and, weary with the days play. to fall TO
81 ep at once
All, happy, happy boy, for whom the
glorious summer days are never too long
whose passing hours are crowded brim-
full OF boy happiness, upon whom The sun
never seems to look down coldly, nor the
moonbcams bring dreams to scare away
sleep. a us
Ah, me. if could only shake off the
weary weight of years; If | could only
still this wildly throbbing heart, calm this
tumultuOus pulse, pluck all these silver
Eairs, and be again-if only for only one
brief day-a Joyous, eager, hopeful, care
less child.
a 10y always knews where the trees are
in the orchard that bears the best apples,
and he always gets the plurlpest and RI
pest cherries. because he can climb to the
top OF the tree; the juciest, mellowest pears
make their way into his hat, and his pants
pockets are always bulging with The choi-
cest fruits of the season.
He knows where Old Topknot has a
nest full OF eggs; lie knows where the hen
sits upon her stolen nest, and where the
sly old guinea fowl hides away her limid
brood
lie is familiar with the haunts Of beast
and bird: he knows the cunning ways of
insects and fishes; and the dens of deadly
serpents, to his fearless soul, are not terri>
BILE.
He is ready TO battle with every creep
ing thing, and his faith in himselfis as sub
lime as it is unbounded. Cd
Just look al the sturdy fellow, as he IA
ces the storm with fearless front, and with
resolute feet travels down the snow-drift /,
How ruddy his cheek, how crisp his hair
and how dewy his lip. how clear his eye,
how selfpoised and self.reliant his bear
ing
God grant that the race of boys may
never pass away.
What man or woman does no; envy him
when they see him gliding over the frozen
pond or speeding down the hillside, on
his sled, more swiftly than the Reindeer
bounds through the forest What per-
petual delight in the long winter nights, il
is for him to get his store of nuts which he
has boarded like squirrel, and to fetch
dish OF them, and then seat himself in a
quiet corner Of the kitchen to crack them.
Then when they are finished, with what
modest grace he presents them TO his
father and mother and the guests assem<
bled aronnd the sitting room fire, and re.
ceives their thanks with blushing cheek
and bashful bow, his heart swelling with
the proud consciousness of having con-
tributed greatly to the enjoy ment of the
evening.
In thinking of the free, careless, happy
life Of boy, who does not wish it had
peen her lot to have been boy? I'm sure
do.
..i. .t