Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-11-29
ALECTURE ON BOYS.

COUSIN ElIeu duNlSeu tuae ehO hS>e
John Spicer lecture be upon the sub
iect of boys. Then some one expressed
the opinion that it would be we'll for
John Spicer to catch himself and put
himself in the row and hear his own
lecture, but as no lecturer could stand
ND in front and lecture and at the same
time be sitting in a row, hearing, it was
decided that John Spicer should catch
himself, and put himself in row. and
that then cousin Ellen herself should de
liver the lecture This accordingly was
done. John Spicer caught himself and
put himself in the row, and Cousin
Ellen delivered the lecture. as follows:
Boys are found in Europe, Asia,
Africa, America, Australia and
other places. Some wear clothes
and some do not. The latter are ma
tives of hot countries. The we'll
known and familiar American boy
wears clothes, and wears them good
deal; wears them out, as one may say,
not meaning outdoors. but out. Boys
of this species, so far as L have known
them, have a great deal to do; steady
business all the year round; indeed,
some are so hurried, so pressed for
time, they can scarcely wait to dress IN
the morning, and sometimes hurry SO
fast as to get their clothes on behind
side before, in which case they gener-
ally take them off again. Their en-
ployment is different at different times
of the year. In the winter they drive
a brisk business in ice and snow. Hur-
rah for a coast or a skate! Up and
away No time to be lost. The coast
needs filling in, or smoothing off. or
digging out, or water poured over it.
Snow houses are to be made, snow men
to be nodded. Hurry is the word. A
thaw may come. The ice may melt in
the pond, the school-bell may ring, is
sure to ring. Meals have to be eaten.
On with cap and mittens. No time to
waste.
Business dull in the spring? Not at
all. Spring brings it's work. Rubber
boots are in demand. There is valuable
slosh to be waded in. The water pow
er in the cutters is to be turned in.
Chip boats are to be launched on it,
dams of mud and stones built across for
a .sflow." The last snOwballing is to
be done before the sun shall melt the
snow every bit away. Snow gone, the
bare ground is put to instant use.
Hoops are to be driven on it,
tops spun upon it, marbles rolled
uron it. Willow whistles are tc
be cut and blown through. Windmills
to be whitfield out and nailed up. Wind
power is made use of in whirling these
round and in flying kites. The kite
business in itself is large one, and in
cludes cutting, framing, shaping, whit
Ting, string-hunting and bobtying
Also the boat business is large, taking
in all the rigging and sail-making.
Next comes summer! Hurrah nov
for the woods and the hills and the
fields and the ponds and the seashore
Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys art
marching along the seashore. On, 81
much to do! Shells to be found
stones to be gathered into pockets
Water warmP Yes. Off clothes ane
90 in swimming. Now 60 on, tramp
tramp, tramp; crab shells, and horse
shoe shells, and live creatures from
puddles, all to be gathered into hand
kerchiefs; beach grasses to be gathered
boats to be rocked in. Just one mo
ment for a stretching out on the warn
sands. Ripple, ripple, sound the waves
Of clothes again and 60 IN swimming
Now away to the woods. Tramp
tramp, the boys are marching. march
ing among the buttercups and daisies
chasing butterflies, running races N
in the pastures over the hills and ia
away, picking berries, climbing trees
swinging on the boughs, gathering cat
o'-nine-tails. Here's pond. Get som
pond lilies. There's a turtle. Cate
him. Down he goes under! Off clothe
and 20 in swimming. Here's brook
fish with pin fish-hook. No fish? Nc
not fish. Sit on the bank and te
stories-fish stories, bear stories, circu
stories, Fourth OF July stories, an
kind. There goes a great butterfly
Quick! Quick! over fences, down, uI
over, across. There he is! No, he
gone. Another brook-go in wadine
What's that struggling over the stOn
wall? A squash vine? Yes. No
squash-vine trumpets. loot, toot, too
the boys are marching, marchin
. across the fields, through the orchard:
picking up apples, smelling tn
, hay, climbing into hay wagon:
There's well; tug at the ropes, dow
goes bucket, up comes the other, drlI
ping, pitching, spilling over upon tn
mossv well stones. A drink all rount
Was ever anything so cold and so wet
The sun is getting low. PleasaI
thoughts of far-away supper tab
ready and waiting in u far-away hom'
And now, tramp, tramp. tramp. tn
: boys are marching home, home, and
! bed to rest, let us hope. for the summe
business must go on next day, and mex
and next, because there is much to dt
; and summer is passing swiftly away
|. |. and autumn will arrive before the boy
i, will be half ready to begin upon the
iack-O' lanterns, and to go a-nuttins
and play football and baseball, an
other balls, and ride velOcipedes, an
! all there is to be done before the sno
flies. Heigho! Steady work and plent
of it all the year around. For beside
J the regular business, the odd times al
to be filled in with hide-and-seek, priso
: bar, touch the goal, jumping, climbing
last-tagging, playing horse. mumbl'
!, the-peg, whiting, hammering, stor
reading. playing card games, checker
> dominoes.
Z oh. the American boy is a busy, busy boy,
s A boy exceedingly busy is he
; From morning to night he finds his dehgl
= In being as busy as busy can be
y There are many varieties OF tn
+ American boy. There are the roug
kind and the gentle kind; the polite an
!, the impolite; the truthful and the vi
u truthful; the generous, and the sting.
: the obliging, and the disobliging; I'll
honorable, and the mean; the outsPol
s en-. and the sneaking. Dear me. no
u many kinds there are, and what nu