, 1880-07-04
The American Boy.


| CHICAGO, July g." Heavens, what q racket!'
| cried Maudc when she opened her eyes at 4
| o'clock this morning and heard her small brother
i'll his room across the hall shooting Off his matin
| salute to the day. The innocent heavens which
she apostrophized were silent US she peeped out
| from behind her window-blind to take an autic-
ipatory enjoyment Of fine day. Maudo 1s q
pca 1ChGago g and p s. such 4Ss H
primer type of tho American Boy who is in his
cSment M s and extremely numerous to.day: He
Monday as well. tor some or him will persist in
celebrating each of these as Independence
CITIZEN and dark horse Of the rising generation.
It is on the National birthday that tho American
Boy is ut his best. On his own birthday he reves,
ind rejoces aud riots, but when this whole
great country has IL birthday ut once the boy
goes mad with his jubilanco. He jumps and
shre1ks, and y yells and hops, and boots and
around generally IN m cxhnberancc Of effer-
vescence. He loses his Individuality and be-
comes u part fthe grand whole. Chaos is moth
ing compared with his scethfng nluchness.
piebeiun or patrcian, it Is the same: The dainty
si]k-host.d boy who rides his bicycle down the
an tnee ekHg IL the hf e
s;sns & i "iHays % @ss'as' ' $ shI1s; H sSias s :
passion M % Which inguIfs to-day the soul, the SELF
hood Of the American boy Of all the glad New
Year this is to him tho madEest, nerrfest day.
the instruments whcrewtth his heart shall be re-
joced and his auricular organs enchanted.
Tho, cry Of "Fine Messna lemons BLACK
murder" pale into insgniticlncc, and are not
noticed, beside the cry of which advertiscs
Bomb shell and boz of ga caps. only five cents,
which is a prerosative Of tho state-strcet ven
ro;,n nest f{ Chinese gums here wa;k up and take
The 10y invests,.if he has cent, in some of
these, or in the denr old falntliar tirecr,lckcrs
and torpedoes, and sets nb1ut his day's enjoy
explodcs his mssves of mischief under your
feet and above YOUR nose: M (. He sits Pensively
m 5e soG n onS
Raa Ests tangled tdr S up ,a susng ssr d6 56S
swarn,s wsts the avenues. We be IS abundant @ on the
West Side, and not less apparent on the north
Of the river. Hetletiesnl rules and regulations,
which would set Victor Hugo to scribbling upon
the soul OF The American race as to be evolved
The Chicago buy is 4 fair speciInan of the boy
who is rampant to-day from Maine to Cnlifor-
as rosse6s ar s1c souls in no5Rs;n Ratsno9 this is
fast the chcck-rcin, but let him trot. There
would be as much possibility OF making woman
hold her tongue il week, or mum talk thut length
Of time IS to have a mice quiet time to-day.
You might enjoy that alone in rowboat ten
miles out on the lake this evening, but ten to
one steamer load OF the boy would capsizo
your craft, and his excursion would sail homc-
ward mid balloons, and rockets, and scrpents,
and stars Of wheels OF ascending gnyety. while
you would sink in silence and oblivion, with tho
fur-uway sound Of tho canncn which the boy,
grown larger, is sul1enly firing.
Bubble on, boyhood! Bless your briskness and
bcwltchiny freedom from care. All over our
city and our land you are appreciated by those
who berute you most loudly The boy inherits
celebrating nny more than ho can help talking
slang. 1t is bred in the innernlost hbrcs Of his
nature, and Maudc tho dainty and Martha tho
careful and troubled must find to-day an inter
fcl,l,tlM in her dynasty. She may MS well submit
gracefully and shrek as gently us possible at
the b,.rbarous racket; The boy is the Com
munist of to-day, and it is dangerous to the
peace to let him suspect his possible power.
BY next Tuesday the boy will be bndlJ de-
rnoralized. He will be covered with glory and
court plaster Hc will need Il deal Of petttng
and, patching, and bis mother and his grand
mother and his nurse will come gulantly to tho
rescue and pay their loving pcnancc OF witch
ing, ind weeping, and spanking to the dear,
dusty, noisy, and numerous boy.
HELEN GILBERT.