American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-12-09
IF I WE'RE A BOY AGAIN.
BY JAMES T. FIELDS.

a boy again; some of the too often neg
lected acts I would strive to accom-
plish if it were in my power to begin all
over anew. When we are no longer
young, we look back and see where we
might have done better and learned
more, and the things we have neglected
rise up and mortify us every day of our
lives. May 1 enumerate some of the
important matters, large and small, that
if l were boy again, 1 would be more
particular about?
l think 1 would learn to use my left
hand just as freely as my right one, so
that if any thing happened to lame
either of them, the other would be all
ready to write and "handle things -
just as if nothing had occurred. There
is no reason in the world why both
hands should not be educated alike.
A little practice would soon render one
set of fingers just as expert as the other,
and 1 have known people who never
thought, when thing was to be done,
which particular hand ought to
do it, but the hand nearest the object
took hold of it and did the Office desired.
AT HOME IN THE DARK.
& 1 would accustom myself to go about
in the dark, and not be obliged to have
lamp or candle on every occasion.
Too many of us are slaves to the day
light, and decline to move forward an
inch, without every thing is visible.
One of the most cheerful persons ever
knew was blind old Juan, who had
lost his sight by an accident at sea dur
ing his early manhood. He went every
where, and could find things more
easily than could. When his wife
wanted spool of cotton, or a pair of
scissors from up stairs, the gallant old
gentleman went without saying a word,
and brought it. He never asked any
one to reach him this or that object, but
seemed to have the instinct of knowing
just where it was and how to get at it..
Surprised at his power.of finding things,
1 asked him one day for an explanation,
and he told me that when he was boy,
on board vessel, it occurred to him
that he might some time or other be
deprived of sight, and he resolved to
begin early in life to rely more on a
sense of feeling than he had ever done
before. And so he used to wander, by
way of practice, all over the ship in
black midnight, going down below, and
around anywhere and every
where, that he might in case of blind
ness not become wholly helpless and of
no account in the world. In this way
he had educated himself to do without
eyes when it became his lot to live a
sightless man.
LEARN TO BE A MECHANIC.
would learn the art of using tools
of various sorts. 1 think 1 would in
sist on learning some trade, even if
knew there would be no occasion to
follow it when 1 grew up. What a
pleasure it is in after life to be able to
make something, as the saying is; to
construct neat box to hold ones pen
and paper; or a pretty cabinet for a
sisters library; or to frame favorite
for Christmas present to a
dear, kind mother. What a loss not
to know how to mend a chair that re-
fuses to stand up strong only because
it needs few tacks and bit of leather
here and there. Some of US can not
even drive nail straight, and should
we attempt to saw off an obstructive
piece of wood, ten to one we should
ose finger in the operation.
1t is pleasant relaxation from books
ind study to work an hour every day
n a tool-shop; and my friend, the
earned and lovable Prof. Oliver Wen
lell Holmes, finds such a comfort in
9 mending things,' when his active
'rain needs repose, that he sometimes
Freaks piece of furniture on purpose
hat he may have the relief of putting
t together again much better than it
vas before. He is as good a mechanic
IS he is poet; but there is nothing
about his poetry, as you all
now who have read his delightful
pieces. An English author of great re-
'ute said to me, not long ago, "Prof.
Holmes is writing the best English of
ur time" And could not help add
ng, eyes, and inventing the best
horoscopes, tool"
KNOWLEDGE OF COUNTRY THINGS.
1 think would ask permission-if 1
ad happened to be born in city-to |
ave the opportunity of passing all my |
acations in the country, that might |
earn the names of trees, and flowers,
nd birds. We are, as people, sadly |
ynorant of all accurate rural knowl-
dge. We guess at many country things,
ut we are certain of very few.
1t is inexcusable in a grown-up per-
On, like my amiable neighbor Simp-
ms, who lives from May to November
n q farm of 60 acres, in beautiful
CODED country, not to know a maple
ON a beech, or bobolink from cat
ird. He once handed me bunch of
ansies, and called them violets, and
n another occasion he mistook sweet
cas- for geraniums.
What right has human being, while
he air is full of bird-music, to be
holly ignorant of the performers
ameP When we go to the opera, we are
lily posted up with regard to all the
rincipal singers, and why should we
now nothing of the owners of voices
lat far transcend the vocal powers of
emmy Lind and Christine Nelsson?
A boy ought also to be at home in a
I'm learn how to harnass q