Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-27
BEING A BOY.
BIT cHARLIs DUDLEY wARNHR.

II was obliged to be boy, and . boy in the
Countrywide best kind OF boy to be. in the sum-
as got any older, would quit 1t. The trouble
with a hoy IL that just AZ he begins to enjoy
himself he is too old, and has to be set to doing
would stay at just that age when he could en-
Joy himself most, and have the least expected OF
him in the way OF work.
or course the perfectly good boy VIII always
and errands for his mother and sisters, rather
than enjoy himself in his own way. 1 never
saw but one such boy. He lived in the town of
Goshep-not the place where the butter il
made, but q much better Goshen than that.
And L never saw him, but heard Of him; and
being about the same age, as supposed, l was
taken once from Zoah. where lived, to Goshen
to see him. But he was dead. He had been
dead almost a year, so that it was impossible to
see him. He died OF the most singular disease:
son OF them. This boy. whose name was Solo
mon, before he died, would rather split up
kindling- wood for his mother than 60 a. fishing
the consequence was that he was kept at split
ting kindlIDg- wood and such work most of the
time, and grew a better and more useful boy
day after day Solomon would not disobey his
parents and eat green appes-not even when
they were ripe enough to knock off with q stick
but he had such longing for them, that he
pinned and passed away. If he had eaten the
green apples he would have died of them, prob
follow. In fact, q boy Is hard subject to get q
moral from, any way. All his little playmates
who ate green apples came to Solomon's funeral
and were very sorry for what they had done.
John was very different boy from Solomon,
not half so good, nor half so dead. He was
farmers boy, as Solomon was, but he did not
take so much interest in the farm. If John
cred a cave full of diamonds, and lots Of nail
kegs full of gold pieces and Spanish dollars,
with pretty little girl living in the cave, and
two beautifully caparisoned horses, upon which,
ridden off together. he did not know where.
John had got thus far in his studies, which were
apparently arithmetic and geography, but were
books Of high and mighty adventure. He was
simple country boy, and did not know much
about the world as it is. but he had one of his
own imagination, in which he lived q good deal.
dare say he found out soon enough what the
world is, and he had a lesson or two when he
was quite young, in two incidents, which may
as we'll relate.
If you had seen John at this time you might
have thought be was only shabbly dressed
country lad, and you never would have guessed
what beautiful thoughts he sometimes had as he
went stubbiDg his toes along the dusty road,
nor what a chivalrous little fellow he was.
You would have seen a short boy, barefooted,
with trowsers at once too big and too short, held
up perhaps by one suspender only, a checked
cotton shirt, and hat Of braided palmleaf,
1t Is impossible to keep hat neat If you use 1t
to catch bumble-bees and whsk'em; to bail the
water from leaky boat; to catch minnows in;
pebbles, strawberries, and hens eggs, John
usually carried sling in his hand or bow, or
a timber stick, sharp at one end, from which
be could sling apples great distance: II he
walked in the road, he walked in the middle OF
it, scufing up the dust; or if he went elsewhere,
he was likely to be running on the top of the
fence or the stone wall, and chasing chip
hunks.
John knew the best place to dig sweet flag in
all the farm; it was in a meadow by the river,
where the bobOlnks sang 50 gaily. He never
I, bad 60 haas AIa hnlx ia. L. -
be said it always reminded him OF the whetting
Of scythe. and that reminded him of spreading
hay, and If there was anything he hated it was
nay after the guess you
stubbs getting into your feet, and the hot sun,
and the men getting ahead of you, all you could
do"
towards evening, once, John was coming
along the road home with some stalks of the
sweet flag in his hand there is a succulent pith
In the end Of the stalk which is very good to eat
liked to pull it, and carry home what he did not
eat on the way. As he was walking along he
met a carriage, which stopped opposite to him;
he also stopped and bowed, as country boys
the carriage, and said:
..What have you got, little boy?"
She seemed to be the most beautiful woman
John had ever seen; with light hair, dark, ten
der eyes, and the sweetest smile. There was that
in her gracious mien and in her dress which re-
minded John of the beautiful castle ladies,
He felt that he knew her at once, and he also
seemed to be sort Of yeung prince himself. L
fancy he didn't look much like one. But Of his
own appearance he thought not at all, as re re-
piled tothe lady's question, without the least
embarrassment:
otis sweetfi flag stalk; would you like some?"
"Indeed, should like to taste OF it }" said the
lady with q most winning smile. al used to be
ever SO fond oft when was little girl"
John was delighted that the lady should like
sweet flag, and that she was pleased to accept it
frav Aha.r ~hA 40
about the best thing to eat he knew. He hand
ed up large bunch Of it, The lady took two
or three stalks, and was abou: y return the
rest, when John said
please keep it all, ma'am. 1 can got lots
more. know where it's ever 80 Thick
"Thapk you, thank you," said the lady; and
- the carriage started she reached out her han d
to John. He did not understand the motion,
instantly all his illusion and his pleasure van
ished. Something like tears were in his eyes as
he shouted;
III don't want your cent don't sell fag!"
John was intensely mortified. 81 suppose"
boy: To think of selling dsg!"
in the road, humiliated bow. The next day he
told Jim Gates about 1t. Jim said he was green
not to take the money. he'd 60 and look for It
now If he would tell him about where 1T
about In the dirt, but he did not find the cent.
jim, however, had an idea; he said he was 60
ing 10 dig aWeetfag, and see II another car
rage wouldn't come along.
Johns next rebuff and knowledge OF the
world was Of another sort. He was again walk
ing the road at twilight, when he was overtak-
en- by wagon with one seat, upon which were
two pretty girls, and young gentleman sat be-
tween them, driving. 1t was q merry party,
and John could hear them laughing and sing
ing as they approached him. The wagon
stopped when 1t overlook him, and one OF the
sweet faced girls leaned from the seat and said,
quite seriously and pleasantly:
"Iittle boy, how's your maI?"
John was surprised and puzzled for o mo-
ment. He had never seen the young lady, but
he thought that she perhaps knew bis mother;
at any rate his instinct of pOlitenes made him
say:
"She's pretty well, / thank you"
"Doee she know you are out?"
And thereupon all three in the wagon burst
into roar of laughter, and dashed on.
1t flashed upon John In q moment that he had
been imposed on, and 1t hurt him dreadfully.
His self respect was injured somehow, and he
felt az II his lovely, gentle mother had been in
suited. He would Ike to have thrown stone
1t the wagon, and in q rage, he cried:
"lou're nice"-but ne couldn't thing OF
any hard. bitter words quick enough.
Probably the young lady, who might have
been almost any young lady. never knew what
q cruel thing she had done.-St. Nicholas for
January.
FoR SEVERAL MOTHS a lad in Portland,