The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-11-14
Adnm's Lonely Boyh0od.

1t is rather difficult to conceive Adam
rs boy, owing to the popular supersti-
tiun that has painted him coming into
the world full grown, with whiskers and
mustache complete, and prevailing be-
lief that there wasn't boy in the world
until Eve came and raised the Old Boy
with Adam; yet we prefer to think of
our ancient progenitor rs having had
something of boyhood, and we suppose
we have rs good right to theorize Upon
the subject as any one else.
Adam was probably Us mschievous,
naturally, as boys generally are. In fact,
Darwin Gays he wes "perrect little ,.,o.,-
key" which we believe, is SYNONYM for
mischievous the world over. But he had
no companions in his gamho!s. II he
staid out after dark and got to cutting up.
It was NIL by himself. And what snort
could he have ringing door bells without
Tot OF other boys to scamper away with9
And consider the melancholy fun of
fastening cords across the walks Mt night
with nobody to trip over them.
We can imagine young Adam, with all
the instincts of n boy two inches thick
in his nature, looking about for scme
way 10 divert himself M other bnvs do.
aud whispering to himself Cant have
any fun p
nf cossrse he colll:'.a'. By any :.c.s=i!,;l
~ have .nT :;:ii. No fun s;iiiiiiiir away
from school, or stealing off to go in swim
ming, because there was no ono to lick
him when he got home. No fun sneak
ing up into tho haymow to indulge in a
surreptitous game Of cuchre-always had
to "play it alone" He couldn't play
tag" because he might yell "Ive got
the tag" all day, and there would be no
one to come and take it away ON him.
"Hi-spi" had no charm, for ,oy ,on
gets tired of hiding when he has to go
to work and find himself And where is
there boy who likes to work and "find
himself"
The more we think of Adams lonely
hoyhood The more we are inclined to nitv
him. He never knew what q circus
meant, at least not till Eye came and in.
trcduced him to one. But we have
nothing ta do with that now, as we are
emily treating of Adams boyhood. True
there was big menagerie all round him,
but tho animals were tame affairs, lambs
and lions lying down together IT. the
most spiritless concord, and the hippo.
potamuses and canary birds playing with
each other like kittens. Little Ao.m
never sat way up on the highest seat and
gazed awe-stricken while man in span
gled tights sprang, whip in hand, into q
cage of savage beasts that rolled their
eyes, gnashed their teeth, and roared
until the canvass overhead happed for
very fear. No, indeed. He never saw a
thin legged female in short skirts ride a
Looping horse around ring, and iump
through hoop: whiia man with his
face painted white and his mouth red
exaggeration tells that convulsive story
about stutfing hay into his shoes to fiji
them out, and his calves going down Ia
eat the hay. Young Adam never saw
"the old clown" though he came very
soon after Adams day, and the Jokes he
commenced with he has been getting of
ever since.
Aud how about base ball2 Do YOU
suppnso snat Adam knew anything a6ou,
that exhilarating diversion that Is now
dainS go much towar.l developing the in.
tellects of our American youth There
is no likelihood of it, not while he was n
boy. His son Cain, however, seems 10
have been the first who got up "club,''
but IL was the death of his brother Abel.
While there we're so many things that
the boy Adam missed, think not that his
solitary life was without it's compensa-
ton. There was no other boy to steal
his marbles, OF hide his top, OF joeT at
him because he had to wear his brothers.
cast-of clothes, or holler across the
street that he had "a letter in the post
Office" or fix a bent pin for him to sit
down on, or make faces at his sister, or
spell him down, or steal his dinner, or
tell on him when he had been in mis-
chief, or heat him ou. Of his sweetheart.
Adam escaped these and q thousand
other annoyances thpt boys subject each
other TO. He had not any brothers and
sisters to tease aud worry him, and with
whom he was compelled to divide his
playthings and nice things to eat that
might come that way. He could leave a
piece of sweetcake lying around any
where, knowing that mono OF the rest of
the children would touch it; and ut
night on retiring, he could stick his