The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-01-17
L0ngings to be q Man.

EVERY boy, from the time he is ten
years old, longs to be . man. He
feels that it is his destiny, and he signs
for the time when he shall meet it.
Why is it?
Can anybody tell why the duckling
takes to water, and the streams run
down hill, and one pretty girl is envi-
GUS of another pretty girl? 1t is simply
nature, and every animate and mani
mate thing, if left to itself. follows out
its nature.
The small boy begins to show his as
pirations for manhood by smoking
grapevine cigars, and cutting sticks
for canes, which he fourishes after the
manner of his paternal progenitor; and
he bankers after hair-Oil and scented
soap, and resents the interference of
his mother when he wants to 90 out
with some fellers," and is compelled
to stay at home and shell the pease for
to-mOrrow's din er.
An observing n person can generally
tell when these longings to be man
commence by the disinclination the boy
exhibits to make himself useful about
the house. The boy who is longing to
be man scorns the idea of wiping the
dishes for Bridget. He thinks il UNI
BETTING his sex and expectations to
white shavings and start the fire for
tea. He wouldn't look at his little Sis
ter's patchwork, or deign to doctor the
broken leg of her favorite dolly. All
of which chores, in times past, he has
willingly performed, with no idea Of be-
ing disgraced by SO doing.
He bitterly resents it when his big
sister has company, and asks her moth
er to send "those noisy children ~
meaning himself and the others, to
bed early; and he VOWS vengeance on
big sisters generally, and tells his
chum, Tom Jones, that he don't see
what in the deuce women were created
for.
He grows particular over his neck
ties, and wants his boots tight, and
spends an hour over the parting of his
hair, and studies book of etiquette,
and likes the smell of smoke in his
clothes, and privately tries the flavor
of chewing tobacco, and tips his hat
one side, and takes up splitting on the
sidewalk, and pays attention only to
girls old enough to be his mother, and
considers girls of his own age "unmit.
igated nuisances."
He reads all the newspaper adver.
tisements headed after this wise
:" Astonishing! Mustache Producer
Hair warranted to grow on the
smoothest face in twenty-four hours, OF
money refundedr' 1.-THE future re.
vealed! Correct picture of your future
husband or wife, by return mail, for
! twenty-five cents.''
He no longer cares to go out tea.
drinking with his mother. He does
not care to listen to Aunt Sarah AIMS
stories. His passion for kites and tops
has subsidized. He feels an interest in
revolvers, and talks learnedly about
Derringers and Remingtons, and says
a six-shooter only is suitable for man
to use.
He affects fishing-rods, and reads
books on angling, and wants to join a
fire company, and has gunpowder and
cartridges lying around loose, and
laughs at his mother for being afraid
of them, and wonders what makes
women and children so confOundedly
afraid of everything.
He bitterly resents being called "that
boy" and as he grows a little older
and few incipient hairs, like the down
on yellow SPIDERS leg, begin to ap
pear on his upper lip, he is too full Of
pride for words. This is a period in
his existence when life is worth living
He understands the object of creation
He acknowledges the wisdom of the
plan! Doubts and anxieties he may
have, but they are far overbalanced by
the sublime and glorious fact that hi!
beard is coming! He is man!-Kat'
Thorn, in N. Y. Weekly.