The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-05-18
Our Olio.
A DAY WITH A BOY.


have Frequently been assured by elderly
maideus and iu6rm old men that the boys
I Of this generation are, almost without ex.
/ eeption. bloodless, oisarette-smokiag good.
for-nothines Aud at short intervals | have
patiently listened to aged prophets Prophe-
swing the passing away Of our race or OF
their evolution backward into monkeys.
As sat by an open FIRE the other night to
smoke | Thought over these dismal prophe-
cies. aud | remembered 60 have heard much
the same sort Of talk when wore a blue
cotton and bruad-belied sack and played
red lion and duck 90 rock IN the streets
Of Albany Then whitehaired men who
carried canes walked slowly along the side
walks ia to;tcrins pairs and said, as they
looked through dimulel eyes at rcd-chcckod
boys at play
.Ah. simon. We did no: do 50 when We
were Young We chopped wood in the
ten-scrc 10, or picked stones IN Briggs $
meadow We did uoi waste cur time.
We worked. The race Is losing strength
and visor. These boys, here they would
indicate the group Il handsome playful
children by pointing a cane az Us. wiiI not
make the same sort of men who fought The
Revolutionary war and the war Of 1912 u
successful issue They are no good.
Then the pair would sigh heavily. and
With the infrm steps of age walk slowly
down Broadway % disappear round the
next corner. with their oli heads shaking
in sorrow over The downfall of their race
aud the nearby ruin of their county
And those playfal boys, aided BY thousands
of other BOYS precisely Ike them, all o.
whom were utterly worthless, 50 the old
nen said. duriog the late war did more
lighting in ,BQath than their graadfatheTs
did in eight wears, and did lt far anre e
eciiyely aud with less growing, too.
A. Thought over these things became
curious 30 know what healthy, energetic
boy of to-day did with BIZ time. aud 10 see
ii the boys of the present are as the boys
Of long ssu, So resolved 10 bAvc day $
outing with boy
The good Samuel. 50 caiIed TO di,,in-
caish hin froln the bad Samuel who lives
in the little brown hoasc With green blinds,
that stands on the north ,ide Of Lags-Iaue
arrived home fsutg school the Saturday be
fore Christmas. he devoted tae 1all Of
his evenings 10 coaxins me a. accompany
him fer a DAY. | was eoy a. becomes gray
hair. bu: The child vas persistent. he sai
ca my knee and hugged his lel, shin With
both hands and SWING his right leg 30 aud
fro aBd talked aud toyed with nay heart,
aud sho; e0axfal gla0css out Of blue eyes
al me, and finally persuaded me 70 ~ on q
lark-the truth was that | wanted 60 q
aud did not need TO be- coaxel Il hap
pened this way | ways playiully RESISTING
Sans advances and teasing him also.
told him shat old men said be wasted hi
time. that be ,iid no: do a. the boys ot lonl
ago did. and tha, be aud all Of his kind
were worthless
lie lousened his shin aud sai upright or
NV knee aud said as be looked Indignantly
at me. come of aud he added ~HOr
come with me for day aud wii' shee
YOU if waste time
accepted the brnsque invitation, ans
today realize that be wasted no time, an,
I am somewhat inclined 60 look on Samue
as on a serpent Then the seductive hlJl
wretch made rules aud conditions % govern
the play. He said II you want 20 Sc
how ! spend my time must be bass, Be
cause. yon know, it you are bus, II will b
how you spend the time and sou will no
learn anything. So YOU will hays 10 pla
that YOU are a hoy, that am MASTER, an
then We viii have a time. Is it a whizz ?
he asked.
: assured him that il was whizz, righ
" interpreting that strange word u meo
90. or agreed TO; and having passed Ia
word | was bound.
said Samuel Tomorrow morning v
e will get mp early and hitch the war hor
70 the chariot and drive to the drain ne;
Mecox Bay to catch mummies a sma
!. 6sh) to use for bait This before breaI
fast. After breakfast We will 20 picker
fishing through the lee. -
That promised we'll Early the re.
morning | called Sam, and together v
hitehed the horse to the wagon. The chi
put few yards offae netting, a scoop ne
:. and tin pail into the wagon, and then '
got in and drove off over the frost-bouI
: road toward Mecox Bay
Gayly the boy talked Of the coming spol
and earnestly he said Now, if We get
lot of mummies We can probably catch
lot of pickerel five do We will give the
to Ted. You see, Ted has not much mon
!. AMI he is fond Of pickerel, and if we gi
i him the fish he Will not have to buy al
le dinner for his boys for one day. So
was agreed between us that Ted, whoev
he may be, should have the fish provid
we caught any
The morning was perfect The air "
frosty. There was no wind. The caste
sky was red with the coming of the ST
There was a dull roar along the sand
yond the dunes where the Atlantic wat
ceaselessly beat As we drove rapid
dogs came out to the road to bark at
and seeing Sam in the wagon their 10
Oh barks of diSapproval or of anger chang
into friendly, joyful barks of greeting, a
ch they wagged their tailsas he spoke to tn
saving: "Hello. Ned !" whats the IN
ter. jim. old boy p Hi, Pete, what
you barking at p This to dogs of hi
n degree, settlers and pointers aud mastitfs