The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1878-12-13
A BOYS -..EE.
CHAPTER r." IT'S A BOY"

His advent is heralded in the brief but
strong sentence just quoted. No matter
what hopes have been indulged concerning
girl babies, there is something in the pithy
announcement, "It's boy" which dispels
all fanciful dreams and sets everybody
squarely on a prose basis. His very voice,
as it utters defiant war whoop to the grand
army of humanity, tells the story te
experienced years. The visions OF a
dainty girl darling very soon vanish be
fore this positive piece of prose, who kicks
his sturdy heels through the delicate pink
socks intended for his sister, ard who grows
as red as a turkey cocks head at Thanks
giving times when he is expecting to show
off TO good advantage before callers. He
persists in an abnormal development OF
nose and pufiness about the eyes, along
with several other little tricks known only
to interested parties. Parents and nurses
become reconclled and accept him on trust,
seeing no alternative. He emerges from
his puffy and rosy obstinacy to roly-poly,
wide-awake thing of beauty, which is a joy
fully one-half the time. There is q process
from infancy to little boyhood, a sweet
time when the man-child is half baby, half
angel. In the clear depths of his inno-
cent eyes is world of trust and hope and
love. His white brow is fair as freshly
opened lily, and his lips as sweet as hermosa
roses. He Is most witching at this age,
for the peculiarities which mark the enfant
terrible are yet undeveloped. He is an
armful Of love and beauty and promise and
love and dread and hope. Love him while
there is no guile on the tender lips, no sin
in the unwritten soul, no touch Of the
worlds breath upon Gods finished work.
CHAPTER H." GIT UP, OLD HoRsEYn'
"Mercy, what a noise! Look at that
chair with string tied on the arms and
made fast to the writing desk and flower
stand, all to be driven tandem by that
young imp in kilt skirt and fancy shoes!
Who upset that work basket? ? and good
gracious what work has been made with
my wool and thread There's the last
Graphic torn to scraps and stuffed in the
cuspidore with my screw driver that lost
a week ago. What is he doing with the
cat? and, dear me, if he hasn't thrown
grandma's spectacles into the grate"'
Where's Harry? Run to the kitchen
aud see All the eggs are broken in the
basket of folded clothes, and the milk for
pudding has been fed to the cat and dog.
Bridget Lanpigan is in towering rage and
says, " Phat's the use of shlaYin to kape
clane wild such young divil forninst ye 2"
Miss Frigidity Fussbunch calls: and is hor-
rifed by being requested to ''be a horse
and let Harry ride straddle to Boston" !"
She is questioned also on many delicate
points, He gets very close to her and asks
what that white stuff on her face is, and
what makes her wear such "a funny little
hat.
A few years of this juvenile terror and
biasu sspp1oIe anouner stage of the boy.
He gets a fever only appeased by marbles.
1t is useless to head off this phase; If it
is shut off in one direction, it breaks out
more violently in some other. 1t goes
through a period of six or seven years,
and costs much in anxiety, broken window
panes and mortified pride. He is afflicted
with rats, pigeons and other boyish COM
plants, which are harmless, but
He brings in six dirty
steel traps to amuse his sick sister, who
grows worse under it, and in his
'olieitude he straps his legs fast to six feet
If stills and stoops to enter the door of her
'oom, to the horror and dismay of his
mother. He brings little notes home from
chool, which he tries to explain in favor
Lble light, but fails to convince his parents
hat it was "only because Bill Wilson
lropped his slate on Abe Hennegan's toes
md made him laugh" He carves his awk-
yard initials on old Mrs. Williams cellar
Ioor, and she threatens his arrest. He goes
o:see "Humpty Dumpty," and comes home
nd throws real brickbats at his aunt, and
Bridget is met wrth a battering blow from
lis head when she is bringing in the coal.
makes life burden and IIaome q snare srnsatre
nd a delusion. He tears the comforts in
aore ways than one, and Sits the pillow
ases to match them. Gradually he leaves
IF his hurly-burly life and inperceptibly
lides into
III.-"wHERE's MY BLUE TIE ?"
"Where is the backing brush? lam
ding to little surp ,1se, and wont be home
Ill eleven. Is my percale shirt done up
Ice ? I wish you'd make my collars stiff
Or. don't thank some one for throwing
~ coat down and getting it wrinkled all
p. How do you like this hat9 Think it
,oks better than my soft one?' You will
nd the pigeon boxes all deserted about
MS period not rat trap cumbers the back
ard. The woodshed theatricals are all
nded; the stills are pu5 away; kites for
often: window glas5 is in perfect safety.
he dust has filled up the rude initials in
[rs. Williams cellar door, and there is an
ulUtltGU 4ut6b oil diOuilu tuc nOuSo. |
hairs stay in their places, and pantaloons
ill no longer bear cutting over for the boy.
.e gets them now out of new stuff, and |
other's ''cut" will not satisfy him. He |
not in the way now, and there is heavy
ain in the mothers heart as she thinks |
lat he will never need her much any more.
he innocent eyes have deeper meaning
them now. They have taken into their
epths the reflection Of face younger than
Others, and life begins to look real to
lem.
The world is full of homes where these
ctures will be recognized and hung up as
mily portraits-homes where there are no
unds of young voices now. They go
way into the great world SO soon, and we
1t away the nameless feeling of desola-
On as we do the cast-off toys of their child
,od; and when the evening of life ap-
caches the heart goes back along the
ack of time, and is once more with the
Iildren in the dear old long aoo G;Dej,..