Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-12-10
BILL NYB as A BOY.
HE RECALLS THE DAYS OF CHILD
HOOD AND TUENlpS.

If ! were a hoy again, endowed
with the same will passion for
plucking watermelon, 10 the dark
of the moon, would no doubt fall
victim to that overmastering
passion as : did before Dut LOOK
inc at it as | do now, would he
wiser. Boys cannot, however, have
the mature Judgment Of manhood
without the experience and the
rheumatism that 90 with 1t. So it
is better that IN our childhood we
may be able to eat raw turnip
with safety and know something
later on in life.
! notice great change in my
self while comparing my present
condition with that of Joyous boy
hood. Then had no sense, but /
had good digestion. Vow l haven I
sven the digestion.
The hurrying years have cavort-
ed over my sunny head till they
have worn it smooth, but they have
left a good deal yet ior me to learn.
| am still engaged in learning dur
ing the day and putting arnica on
my experience at night.
Childhood is said to be the most
gladsome period in oar lives, and
in some respects this statement
may ne regarded as reliable, but it
is not all joy. have had just as
much fun in later years As / did in
Doyhood, though the people with
whom have been thrown in con
tact claim that their experience mas
been different. hope they do not
mean anything personal by that.
! do sometimes wish that could
be boy again, bu. ! smother that
wish on account Of my parents
What they need most is rest and
change Of scene. They s'll enjoy
children, but they would like "a
chance TO select the children with
whom they associate.
My parents were 5lcst with five
bright-cycd and beautiful little
boys, three of whom grew up and
by that means became adults. !
am in that condition myself. was
the eldest of the family with the
exception Of my parents, / am still
that way. Mycarly life WAS rather
tempestuOus in pace, occasion
ally fleckcd with sunshine, but
more frequently with rcirlhutiOn. J
was not a very good roadster when
young, and so retubution was most
always just in the act of oyertak-
ing me. While outraged justice
was getting in its worA on me, the
other boys escaped througha small
aperture in the fence.
That is another reason why ! do
not }cmu TO be o boy again.
When we ran away from school
to catch clubs, and when we built
fire TO cook them and tine fire got
into the tall dry grass and burned
four miles Of fence and sixteen
tons OF hay for q gentleman for
whom had % high regard, and /
went back to put ont tine fire, the
other boys escaped and nave so
remained ever since.
4 just reuibution has meyer had
any difficulty in oycrtaking me and
walking up and down over my
wishbOne.
When a party of us had been
engaged in gathering Easter csss
in the barn of gentleman who
was away from home at the time,
and me returnel just as we had
filled our pockets with the choicest
vintage Of his sun kissed hcus, the
other boys escaped whnie ] was
occupying the attention OF the dog,
and / had to slide out the second
story of the barn. 1t is still fresh
III my mind as | write. wOie
my father vest at tnat time and 1t
was larger than was necessary. My
father was larger than ! at that
time, for / was only . years of age
and had not arrived at my luil
stature. In sliding down the batten
l discovered that the upper end OF
it was loose and that my flowing
vest had slipped over it, so that
when | got down about tour icct /
hung with tho board buttOncd IN
side my bosom and the scambled
eggs oozing out OF my knickcr-
bOckers.
The batten had sprung back
against the barn IN such u way rs
to prevent my unbuttonlns my
vest, and while l hung there Oh the
side of the barn, like coon skin,
the proprietor came around and ac-
cused me OF prematurely gathering
his eggs.
/ had heard truth very highly
spoken OF by people who had
dabbled IN it more or less, and 80 !
resolved to try it in this instance.
SO / admitted that such was the
case, and IL was the best thing !
could have done, for The man said
az / had been so frank with hun he
would take me down as soon as he
got his other work done, and he
was AZ good as his word. Alter
Inc had mixed nlne cows and fed
nine calves he came round with "a
ladder and took me down. lie
also spanked me and set the dog
on me, but / did not mind that, for