The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-06-30
A BOY.

From n address delivered by T. II. Mccoy and published by the Colum bus Bokemsln
 You have heard of " childhood's sunny hour" You have unused over broken or aong-used toys. and tonight your ,houshis go backward oftener than for ward- backward 10 the land of realities and mi : sht-haye-beens. ofiener than for ward To the castles in the dreamaand flu. ,gre. There IS something vague and unfinished about our lives. taken IS d whole. and when we die i, will be so still But childhood Is perfect. rounded and eomplete-a li;ile prelude to the play without the schemes and paint and trie ks and baubles of the real drama we are pleased to call Life. True. there Is some thing grand ln manhood with its strength and purpose. When wrong rdes braken through the world. and s,reng-armed manhood meets il shoulder to shoulder. and stands nsht in is place. there k something grand IF thai. Iat who has ever seen flower that gave falnllmen; .o the promise of the bed Who has ever seen noon as perfect as the bright morning promised or ripened meadows and tasseled com that took the place of song ot birds and bedding flowers of sprinstime:: There Is freshness m the opening buds that speaks oi youth tha. makes Us wish they would never open. but be always opening We look for blight when summer comes. and never see the dead, wi;hered limbs until the ilving ones are clothed with verdue There Is something s,range-no; under stood in childhood. Then there Is no purpose save of flowers and butterflies ard fruit: no touch of the respons.blli- ties that make lite such burden to the full-grown man. Then character Is like bud within which lie the pure, white petals of flower. upon which the sum- light ye, must pencil all the colors ,ha, make II beautiful or loathsome 10 the sight; and if the light. which touches i, fall through the smut;ed panes and dark some doorways ot the foul and wrong each petal mus, bear the impress of the ho;. tainted breath of sin.
 Childhood is the great. independent, democracy of lite. Each childish mind IS like wax, free to receive any impression that may come 10 i,-like wax iha, over spreads the more solid glass o, steel tha, represents the character of the man ,e come; and on ,he ,racings of the waN the aciUs oi communication, evil or good must mark the e;ehings oi the man 10 come. The heads and hands iha, bear the playhouse crown and scep;er noa 50 proudly. must, sometime, open 10 the winds of heaven. ans hii and carrv up before ;he world our unsulied honor and oaf spoiless flag. or trail them m the dus, q; ,reason's chario, wheels. These latte smutiy hands mus, sometimes hold the blow or wield the gavl. The li,,ie busy brains and prat,ling tongues mus, some time frame and proclaim our laws mus, sometime from the pnlpi, preach the truth mus, be our leaders. leading us as we haze taugh, ,hemNo go
 Bu, aside from childhood in general. le; Us think tonight of boyhood. and the great paradox of creation. a boy. There are no words. in al. the world of words. to denne this simple one of three letters To his mother II means nights of patien. watching. hours and days of weary care months and years of anxiety-a whole hie-tiTe oi prayer and hope ant pride and such wealth of holy love tha; any other than the ocean ot mothers love would run dry. She sees him always Is her boy. and though she live to see hs head above his fathers. thinks of him ostener and clearer as her boy And though he loves hgln us; as dearl, IF hls way. he expects morc-ioo mach. per haps. of his boy. To h.s sister he Is a demon fresh from the hand, of satan lie knows her every i.iile weakness and makes them strong weapons against hcs N a arsr bas elk A m some Way 10 get II. even agalns, ;Ae wishes Of the entire family He ieases her from morning til night. wi;h shor. intervals n whi h he IS lighting for her. and she-loves him and hopes for him much as n.s mother does
 A boy-to some of Us the words sounds very familiar. We remember quite dis- tnctly when we. too. feared school-,each- CTS. loved marbles and didn', dare leave home without asking. But. falling on the ears of older men. the word sounds like something they have heard before minglIng oi cuffs and dresses. of tears and smiles. They see away back in the misty past the fieids and streets of long ago. There Is sound of running VA ter. smell of flowers and grass glimpse of helds and forests and faces When they stop 10 ,hink of this, they see them dimly with mois, cheeks To the boy h.mseli-and his is perhaps the mos, correct view of 1.-the world is very real. He feels himself martyr to grown people He thinks his rights are un- necessarily restricted. He can't see the pFcrne.y of having 10 retire promptly al eaght- If he does have to go so carly. he can't see why he should have 10 carry coal and kindhng and water up b ,ha, tune He don, see why he should be the only one abou, the place bossed by the servants. He grows to almos, doub: -strange if he didn',-,he ultimate just