The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-03-30
PARADISE LOST,

While | was vet absorbed in my boats,
fishing, dogs, rabbits. and all the other
phases peculiar to juvenile life, ! no.
feed that my companions one after an
other were reforming that rccklessness
and careessness of attire characteristic
of the genuine boy. They developed
high shirt collars and beaver hats. They
became very particular As TO the tit OF
their boots. and held long conferences
with the shoemaker. Above all did
their intellects concentrate on the ar
rangcment of the hair. They were very
regular in their attendance at church
on Sunday evenings The cause of all
this lay in the simple fact that the in
evitabe gravitation toward the female
sex had commenced.
was disguised that my companions
should fall away from me and lose in
terest in their accustomed sports. Their
whole life was changed. Certain houS-
es wherein dwelt girls became wonder
fully attractive. On Sunday evenings
when the service was over they would
rush hastily out of church and crowd
about the doors as the congregation
came forth. Some holder than the rest
sidled up to the girl and asked, Can
have the pleasure of seeing you home
this evening" She might bashfully
say Yes take the boys arm, and the
two trudged silently along together,
beating their little brains for something
to say to each other, while the remain
der Of the youthful masculine troop,
who longed 10 be in the same place,
but lacked courage to apply for the sit
uation, followed on behind, noisy, dis
orderly and making observations of
sarcastic nature concerning the young
couple.
AT last certain Of my contemporaries,
male and female, paired off regularly
every Sunday night and every other
night when opportunity offered. 1t
seemed but little time had passed ere
ii came to be whispered about concern
ing these boys and girls, now young
men and women, that they were en-
gagged
Engaged 1t was but little time
past since they with me were deep in
rabbit and bird traps. | could not ac-
cept it. That men and women--or at
least those who with me had always
been men and women-that they should
get married was all right and proper.
But these were boys and girls. could
not realize how they were ever to be
anything else hut boys and girls. did
not like these fast coming changes.
was an old fogy, conservative boy,
los al, 90 ntui
hood.
At this early age matrimony bad not
favorably impressed me. looked on
many cuulrshipS. All then seemed
smooth and bli.stul. looked after
ward on matrimony. II appeared faded
by the contrast. Courtship implied
beauty, bright eyes, Iuddy cheeks, mar
rlage, and soon the same faces became
pale and worn 1t involved also
"cluttered up house, wash-tubs and
soil-faced children, and the suitor had
changed into an Indifferent, slovenly
attired and sometimes surly husband.
The bright, blooming girl took her
place among the wives, and after a time
looked TO me rs if she only endured y
cooking, washing and Scrubbing exist
ence because it was an inevitable neces-
sity. This is as it seemed to the boy,
although could not then mould these
thoughts into words
The defeCtions among my set came
thicker and faster Al last, | with the
rest was drawn into the vortex know
not when | flew my last kite or spun
my last top.
| fell in love with two girls simulta-
neously. For long time it was n Sc
cret admiration. adored them from
afar. Bolder boys were seeing them
home every Sunday night. Bolder and
better looking boys than |, That was
tbs poison in my cup. was homely.
Many had taken particular pains TO tell
melso. ] could not have been more
than four years Of age when one of my
aunts used 10 crlicise my snub nose.
and recommend me 10 keep my finger
pressed on it for an hour or two daily,
as she argued that It's upward inclina-
ton might thus be repressed Private
ly, did follow her advice, but il made
no difference. That nose rs 10 contour
would not be diverted from its early
bent. Then my hair was inclined TO
redness. was ireckled. MANY wears
after my gallantry was awakened did
commune with the mirror in the hone
OF finding some facial Improvement
Sometimes ] thought had, and wouId
for little time be thereby elevated IN
happiness on this dclusion, But no,
long. Some ruthless comment from
friend or relative always knocked II
from under me. This lack of facial at
effectiveness was the great gulf between
me and femininity. Yet though we be
ugly as Caliban, we must obey destiny.
My worship of the pair was silent and
intense at school, at church, in the
street, everywhere. worshipped their
cloaks and bonnets as they hung in the
academy hall entrance. With their
presence the school was full Of interest;
without it, it was bare and barren.
The eruption must come to the vol
cano mt last My admiration finally
impelled me to action. Timidi'y merged