Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-01-07
Coming Of Age.


comes of age at 81. This means that he
is old enough to manage his own property.
to do business for himself, and to be made
to do as he has agreed; also to vote. Be-
fore be is 81, if he has any property, his
father or guardian manages it for him; he
account; and if he makes foolish bargains
he can say have changed my mind.
There are several other ages which are
important; indeed q person may be said to
be coming 81 age for different purposes at
different times all through his life. From
his very birth be is of age to be owner of
property, and to be protected frcm violence
and cheating. at years he becomes Of
age to be punished for a crime, if it can be
shown that he was bright intelligent lad,
had been taught somewhat, and that the
thing he did was against the law and would
be punished. These things are not taken
for granted until he becomes IA. From
and after IA it is supposed that youth
knows enough to refrain from attacking
people, or stealing, or setting houses on
uI0, VI tuluSS O1 Gudt KIM.
At IA, he is of age to be asked If his
father should die, whom he should choose
as guardian; and Of age to marry; but
that if he does so, he cannot retract after
wards and say he was too young. At IS
he is of age to be soldier. At q years
he becomes independent of his father, and
may vote; these thing are so much more
important than any others, that reaching
q years is commonly called coming of
age," as # it were magic date for every
thing. At rs years he is Of age to be a
Representative in Congress; that is, after
that the people can elect him, if they
choose; before that they cannot. After 80
years he can be elected Senator, and after
40 President. After As years he is of age to
be excused from going as soldier Chris
tSan Zion.
How A SToRK CATCHES M1cE.-The
Council Bluff, Iowa, ''Nonpareil" says
A large and handsome whooping stork
can be seen daily strusting around the yard
at the residence of Prof. Paige in this city
The elongated bird was purchased by the
professor during visit to Mexico some
time since, and has become quite tame
Among other food that the stork relishes
is good fat mouse. Mrs. Paige has a
small wire trap in The house, and whenev-
er mouse happens to wander therein he
becomes sweet morsel for his storkship.
The other day Mrs. Paige noticed the bird
standing near the BAN, watching intensly
at a hole leading beneath the building
The stork remained in an attitude Of
watchfulness for nearly half an hour, and
Mrs. Paige becoming curious, concluded to
watch and see what followed. Finally she
saw mouse creep into sight from under
the barn, ard at the same instant the in
telligent stork pounced down upon the
mouse and "took MIN in killing him first
and then eating him. After performing
this intelligent feat the stork resumed his
vigilance at the mouse hole and after
watching sharply for an hour he seemed to
have grown weary of his work or to get
out of patience, and marching to the house
entered the kitchen and picking up the
mouse trap from which he had 80 often
been fed he returned to the barn and set
the trap down near the hole, evidently ap-
preciating the use of the trap and believ
ing that it would catch mouse for him.