American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-01-03
Being a Boy.


II I was obliged to be a boy, and boy
in the country-the best kind of boy to be
in the SUMMER would be about ten years
of age. As soon as l got any older, |
would quiz it, The trouble with a boy is
that just as lie begins to enjoy himself he
is too old, and has to be set to doing
something else. If country boy were
wise he would stay at just that age when
he could enjoy himself most, aud have
the least expected of him in the way of
work
OF course the perfectly good boy will
always prefer to work and to do Chores
for his father and errands for his mother
and sisters, rather than enjoy himself in
his own way. | never saw but one such
boy. He lived in the town of Goshen
not the place where the butter is made,
but a much better Goshen than that And
l never saw ham, but heard of him; and
being about the same age, as | supposed,
| was taken once from Zoah, where
lived, to Goshen to see him. But he was
dead. He had been dead almost year,
so that it was impossible to see him. He
died of the most singular disease; it was
from not eating green apples in the season
of them. This boy, whose name was
Solomon, before he died, would rather
split up kindling-w wood for his mother
than go a-fishing-the consequence was
that he was kept at splitting kindling-
wood and such work most of the time,
and grew a better and more useful boy
day by day. solomon would not disobey
his parents and eat green apples-not even
when they were ripe enough to knock off
with stick-but he had such a longing
for them, that he pinned, and passed away
If he had eaten the green apples he would
have died of them, probably; so that his
example is a difficult one to follow. In
fact, boy is hard subject to get a
moral from, any way. All his little play
mates who ate green apples came to Solo
mons funeral, and were very sorry for
what they had done.
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 could have had his
way he would have discovered cave full
of diamonds, and lots of nail-kegs full of
gold pieces and Spanish dollars, with
pretty lirtle girl living in the cave, and
two beautifully caparisoned horses, upon
which, taking the jewels and money,
they would have ridden off together, he
did not know where. John had got thus
far in his studies, which were apparently
arithmetic and geography, but were in
reality the Arabian Nights" and other
books of high and mighty adventure
He was a simple country boy, and did
not know much about the world as it is,
bat he had one of his own imagination in
which he lived good deal. | dare say
he found out soon enough what the world
is, and he had Il lesson or two when he
was quite young, in two incidents, which
l may as well relate.
If you had seen John at this time YOU
81. 1t 1.
dressed country lad, and you never would
have guessed what beautiful thoughts he
sometimes had as he went stumbling his
toes along the dusty road, nor what Il
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
suspendcr only, checked cotton shirt,
and a hat of braided palm-leaf, frayed at
the ends and bulged up in the crown. 1t
is impossible to keep hat neat if you
use it to catch bum BILE bees and whisk
EN-; to bail the water from leaky boat:
to catch minnows in; to put over honey
bees nests, and to transport pebbles,
awberrics, and hens eggs. John usual
ly carried sling in his hand, or bow,
or Il Timber stick, sharp at one end, from
which he could sling apples great dis
tan e. If he walked in the road, he
walked in the middle of it, scuffing 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
John knew the best place to dig sweet
flag in all the farm; it was in a meadow
by the river, where the bcbolinks sang so
gaily. He never liked to hear the bobo-
link sing, however, for he said it always
him of the whetting of IA scythe,
and that reminded him of spreading hay;
and if there was anything he hated it was
spreading hay after the mowers. q guess
you wouldn't like it yourself" said John,
with the 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 COM
ing along the road home with some stalks
IF the sweet flag in his hand; there is
5ucculent pith in the end of the stalk
which is very good to eat, tender, and not
80 strong as the root; and John liked to
pull 1t, and carry home what he did not
.at on the way. AS he was walking along
he met II carriage, which stopped opposite
o him; he also stopped and bowed, as
country boys used to do in Johns day. A
ady leaned from the carriage, and said
what have you got, little boy?'
She seemed to be the most beautiful
woman .iDlln llstu ever seen, Will 1DnI
hair, dark, tender eyes, and the sweetest
smile. There was that in her gracious
nicn and in her dress which reminded
John of the beautiful castle ladies, with
whom he was well acquainted in books.
He felt that he knew her at once, and he
also seemed to be IA sort of young prince
himself. | fancy he didn't look much
like one. But of his own appearance he
thought not at all, as he replied to the
ady's question, without the least en-
IT'S sweethag stalk; would you like
some?"
Indeed, | should like to taste of it."
said the lady, with IA most winning smile
Il used to be ever so fond of it when |
was IL little girl"
John was delighted that the lady should
like sweet flag, and that she was pleased
10 accept il from him. He thought, him
self, that it was about the best thing To eat
he knew. He handed up large bunch
IF it. The lady took two or three stalks,
and was about to return the rest, when
John said:
"Please keep it all, ma'am. | can get
lots more. | know where it's ever 50
thick"
Thank you, thank YOU" said the lady;