Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-02-21
SELECTIONS.
SOMETHING OF INTEREST TO BOYS.

II am greatly interested in your
Talks With the Boys In somc of
them you have spoken Of the boys
of twenty or twenty-five years. |
take it you are old enough to tell us
something about the boys Of that
PERIOD
Well, my lad, | wish a dozen times
a week that l was a boy OF to-day,
but never once do | wish to be set
back to the boyhood OF twenty FIVE
years ago. | presume there was
considerable difference between the
boys living in cities and those dwell
ling in towns or living on farms-I
mean IN the matter of dress and
privileges, but it was lonesome
enough to be a boy anywhere.
What was home Well, the very
rich had carpets, cane-seat chairs
and a melodeon and "kept a hired
girl" but the commonly wellof peo-
pie had rag carpets on the parlor
floors and the others went bare.
Splint or flag bottom chairs were
thought good enough and the dollar
chromos of to-day would have been
considered tit for the parlor of the
richest man in the village. Wall
paper had scarcely been heard Of,
and all furniture was Of the plainest
description. All the beds of those
days had cords and a straw tick, and
all boys up to fourteen or fifteen
years OF age slept in trundle beds.
1t was seldom that a common family
lighted more than one candle of an
evening, and this furnished the light
for all. 1t was something extra when
two candles were allowed, and the
sight of three or four burning at once
in one house would have created the
greatest astonishment outside.
1t was the way all people lived
simple, economical, and without any
heed for society or fashion, but it
was terribly dreary compared to
your homes to-day.
What was our living One meal
was almost the counterpart of an
other. In a village of five hundred
inhabitants, perhaps three families
could afford wheat bread, but it was
"johnny cake" with all the rest week
in and week out. Fresh meat came
at rare intervals, and salt pork filed
the gap. The average meal was
johnny cake, salt pork, potatoes,
apple "sass," very cruel sort of
pie, and weak tea or barley coffee.
Mind you, the children got no warm
drinks, and though almost every
body kept COW the milk was saved
for churning. While butter was not
more than six cents per pound, the
children were expected to eat gravy
in place Of it, and while eggs might
be had for five cents dozen they
were looked upon rs a luxury. Un
to the time when Il boy was fourteen
he had no chair ut the table, but
stood up to eat. 1t was rare thing
for young person to give party,
or for young people to he found at
lectures or exhibitions. The rule was
to force them into bed sOon after
dark. At the age of fifteen | had
never seen show of any sort, nor
had anything of the kind ever been
in the village. Had there been one
every week it would have done us
boys no good. Not three out of the
hundred | knew could have raised
dime to pay his way in, or would
have been allowed to use the money
in that way.
How did we dresss Well, the
Oldest son had rather he hest show.
Fathers worn put clothes were rip
ped up, dyed over and made anew
for him. The rest of us had to take
our chances when G store order.
was traded out. Every mother was
tailor, and she cut the clothes ac-
cording to her own idea. The pan
falcons might be too short, but never
too long. II the coat happened to
fit it was all right; if not the boys
had to wear it all the SHINE.
1t was considered sin to let boys
wear boots or shoes during the sum.