Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-01
THE TRIALS OF A BOY.
His Opinion About Dancing Lessons
and Girls.

His Opinion About Dancing Lessons
and Girls.
WHY BOY WHO LIKES TO CHASE CATS AND PLAY
BASE BALL OBJECTS TO DANCING SCHOOLS
SOME wEIGHTY OBSERVATIONS UPON THE RELA-
TIONs OF THE SEXES AT TENDER AGE.
The boy came slowly down the street His
hands were thrust deep into his pockets, and he
shuffled his feet along over the pavement as he
walked. He had walked for two blocks in this
manner, as THE STAR man who was watching
him could testify. and during that time he had
only varied in his movements twice. Once
when he gave sudden dart to one side after
cat that was slowly picking its way across the
street. The cat, however, ran back as far as
the curDstone on the other side. and turned to
see If there was any necessity of making fur
Their retreat The boy balanced himself on the
edge of the curb and gaZed at the cat, and the
cat gazed at him, then he slowly turned again
and pursued his detected way. His attention
was again aroused by the sight of a newly
painted fence with caution signals flying from
it, but he only paused long enough to smear
two or three OF the pckets and scTape the new
paint OFF another and then went ON as before.
The observer knew that something must be
wrong. He had lived next door to that boy
for year and perfectly we'll aware that
Wueu lie diioWeu d Cat tO 20 WITHOUT CHASING IL
to its death and passed by newly painted
Fence without leaving more than slight evil
dences of his inspection some serious calamity
was impending.
"YOu appear to be out of spirits. Robert. has
anything happened?" asked THE STAR man.
engaging the youth i'm conversation when the
latter arrived in front of his home.
"Nuthin's the matter ceptin-" and here
Robert gave great jerk on brick which he
was attempting absent mindedly to remove
fI0c eli fintf hptl
go to dancing school," and as he said it, the
brick yielded to his efforts and he Strengthened
up with it in his hand and threw it moodily into
corner Of the yard.
THE DANCING SCHOOL QUESTION.
'Did you have to go to dancing school when
you were boy?" continued Robert supposlng
he had found a sympathetic listener. IF you
did. then you know what's the matter with me.
have to put on my best clothes just as IL it
was Sunday, and kid gloves and go where there
is lot of girls"
The disgust with which the last word was
uttered fully expressed the feeling which the
average boy at that age regards the opposite
sex.
what is the use of dancing, anyway. Only
girls want to.dance and boys that don't know how
to play base ball and who bring flowers to the
teacher. When grow up, you bet will be the
captain OF a base ball niDe and then what
difference will it make about dancing. Mother
says she wants me to have good manners. /
suppose that means to always have your hands
clean and not to tear your clothes. That kind
OF boy don't have any fun, and besides they
are only fit to play with girls. They always get
licked in fight, and then they tell the teacher
things about the other boys"
Eyes, ma'am; Pm coming" he called out in
response to a summons from the house. A
deeper gloom seemed to settle upon him as his
unhappy fate approached, and he dug his toe
yicio'lsly into the bricks.
Il should think you could have nice time at
the dancing school," suggested the listener in
as sympathetic tone as possible.
well, don't" was the unyielding reply. 81
can't feel natural some how. My feet won't go
in the right direction, and then they put me
with the little boys and call it the awkward
squad. l could beat 'em all playing base ball,
and | can throw farther and straighter than
any boy there. But when it comes to dancing,
l can't do it, wouldn't care so much. but you
have to dance with the girls. and they made ME
dance last time with a girl with red hair and
freckles, and one Of the boys told me that girl
bit boy once because he stepped on her toes"
ONLY THE BRAVE DESERVE THE FAIR.
"Why don't you engage some nice girl to
dance with you," asked the listener beginning
now to have some real sympathy for the boy.
''WeIl," said the boy, squirming uneasy
about as if he was in great pain, ''all the nice
girls that don't bite are gobbled up before get
chance, or leastways before remember what
to say. Some boys talk with girls and seem to
like it. l don't see how they can do it. What
is there to say to a girl? They don't know any
thing; that is, anything that is worth knowing.
i talked with girl Onct and she said she liked
base ball cause the men wore such pretty SUITS
but she didn't know a curved ball from home
run" -es7
Robert. are you coming?" again sounded
the warning voice from the house.
"Yes, maam directly" responded the bow
with evident regret. Mother has got all Of my
good clothes out, and Eve got to be scrubbed
and my ears pOked into, and then there's the
gloves" and the boy fairly groaned as he
thought of the prospect.
"When boy has 'gagements with other
boys" he went on, land has things to attend
to, he has no time to go to dancing lessons in
the afternoon. when school is out. Last week
missed bully trade with boy up the street
cause had to go to dancing school, and the
boys say if can't come and practice they will
get some one else to pitch on our nine'
The further narrative of his griefs was inter-
rurted by the nurse girl, who made Robert an
unwilling captive and escorted him into the
house. In the course of a half hour the neigh
bOrs beheld an elegantly attired and sturdy
little gentleman emerge brisky from the house
his chubby round face glistening above the
broad white collar and his goved hands convey
ing no pleban suggestions of either base bali or
dead cats.