Middletown transcript., 1880-02-28
THE COUNTRY BOY FROM HOME.

There comes time when the coun-
try lad grows weary OF the mosaic sur
roundings of his life. The old NOM
stead looks small and cramped up, the
slow matter-of-fact life he is leading fails
to satisfy the longings Of his soul. He
yearns for the freedom Of the world,
for an expensive experience that shall
have something more than the bayfield,
in summer and the wood pile in the
winter to develop his latent energies.
He takes his fathers hand in good
bye" kisses the tremulous lips of his
mother, strolls down by the neighbor-
ing farm house and takes an awkward
but loving farewell of his sweetheart,
and takes the first accommodation tram
for the city. Here he will learn the
secrets of business life, crown his la
bors with a fortune in about year
and half and retiring to the haunts
Of his youth, bring forth the hand
maiden Of his heart to surroundings
fitted for her wonderful goodness and
sweetness. So he thinks Arriving
at the goal Of his ambition he is charm.
ed and delighted, blocks on blocks Of
houses so close together that a sheet Of
paper cannot be slipped between them,
the hurly burly Of the enormous traffic
of the streets, the crowded sidewalks,
the brilliant show windows, all tend 10
fill his eyes with wonder and his heart
with enthusiasm. He enjoys himself
hugely Night comes, and after
brief view Of the brilliancy of the
streets by gaslight, he leisurely finds
his way to his boarding house. He
half way remembers that he has for
gotten something, that the cows are
not milked, or wood FIR the kitchen
fire not brought in, but his tramp on
the hard pavements has made him foot
sore, and the confusion of sights he
has seen has tired out his receptive
brain, and he wearily tumbles into bed.
The moment. his body touches the
easily yielding spring mattrass he is
wide awake, the strangeness of his sur
roundings and the slowly dawning
truth that he is among strangers seems
to pry open his eyelids and keep them
open. There is not that reassuring re-
sistance to the bed that there is in his
own cot in the attic at home; the
noise Of the city is not as soothing as the
song Of the katydids. the Pickering
shadow Of the street lights across his
room has not the softeniug influence
Of the moonlight rays upon the cover
lid knit by the loving hands Of
mother. He grows more wakeful, the
curious sounds that he hears put him
on the alert lest some foul deed of
violence is being committed in the
next room, and he starts up in a cold
sweat dozen times only to find every
thing all right. He wonders if his
father and mother are talking them
selves to sleep owe. the trials and temp
tations to which they know he is ex-
posed if Jennie, the dear little crea-
ture with the rosy cheeks and dimpIed
elbows, is dreaming Of him with the
last rosebud he gsve her under her
pillow. He somehow begins to feel
that he is out Of place, and if he could
only see the old black cat asleep at the
foot Of the bed he would be reassured
He turns over his homelife in his mind
IS often as he turns over his body in
bed, and that is about once in ten
minutes. At the first gray streak of
dawn he arises, as has been his habit
Not a soul-stirring, except now and
then an early milk-man, and he would
give his old boots if he was on milk
ing stool that very minute. AS he
ooks out of his window the sun rises
plump up out of the northwest and
ooks upon him as coidly as if it really
lid come from that corner. This is
100 much. A solitary tear trembles
IN his eyelid and before he knows it
le is hard at work at crying match,
,he first since the schoolmaster made
him sit with the girls. He goes upon
he street again, and sees not a face
hat he knows, not an eve that looks
Kindly on him. He buys a second |
lass ticket for home and remains the ,
oy and comfort of the old folks, and
when they die takes Jennie and both
he farms, and never goes to the city
gain except to sell garden truck
Ne,O HGven Register
Neighbors are great convenience, {
or some Of them always know more
bout your business than they know i
bout their own. Besides, they are 6
andy when you are just out of tea i