The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-02-13
A DAY WITH A BOY.
Are the Boys of This Generation {
Degenerate Lotp
Testimony to the Contrary Dedueed from
Experience-The Change Has Taken
Place in the Aged-A Busy,
Delightful Day.


Ihave frequently been assured by
elderly maidens and infirm old men
that the boys OF this generation are,
almost without exception, bloodless,
cigarette-smoking good-for-nothings.
And at short intervals have patiently
listened to aged prophets prophesying
the passing away of our race or OF
their evolution backward into mon
KEYS. AS sat by an open fire the
other night to smoke | thought over
these dismal prophecies, and L re-
membered to have heard much the
same sort of talk when | wore blue
cotton and broad-belted sack and
played red lion and duck-on-a-rock IN
the streets of Albany. Then white
haired men who carried canes walked
slowly along the sidewalks in totter-
ing pairs and said, as they looked
through dimmed eyes at red-cheeked
boys at play:
"Ah, Simon, we did not do so when
we were young. We chopped wood in
the ten-acre lot or picked stones in
Briggs meadow. We did not waste
our time. We worked. The race is
losing strength and vigor. These
boys here they would indicate the
group of handsome, playful children,
by pointing a cane at US, ''will not
make the same sort OF men who
fought the Revolutionary war and the
war of 1912 to successful issue. They
are no good"
Then the pair would sigh heavily,
and with the infrm steps of age walk
slowly down Broadway to disappear
round the next corner, with their old
heads shaking in sorrow over the
downfall of their race and the nearby
ruin OF their country.
AS l thought over these things be-
came curious to know what healthy,
energetic boy of to-day did with his
time, and to see if the boys of the
present are as the boys of long ago, SO
resolved to have days outing with
aboy.
Samuel, who arrived home from
school on Saturday evening, de-
voted the tail of his even
iugs to coaxing me to accompany
him for day. l was coy as becomes
gray hair; but the child was persist
emit. He sat on my knee and Rugged
his left shin with both hands, ant
swung his right leg to and fro, ant
talked and toyed with my heart, ant
shot coaxful chances out of blue eye
at me, and finally persuaded me to g
on lark-the truth was that wanted
to 90 and did not need to be cOaxed.
happened this way: l was playfully re
sisting Sans advances, and teasin
him also. ] told him that old men sal
he wasted his time; that he did not d
as the boys of long ago did, and tina
he and all of his kind were worthless
He loosened his shin and sat uprigh
on my knee, and said, as he looked in
dignantly at me: Come off, and h
added: "You come with me for a da
and | will show you if l waste time.
/ accepted the brusque invitation
and to-day | realize that he wasted I
time, and am somewhat inclined
look on Samuel as on a serpent The
the seductive little wretch made rul,
and conditions to govern the play. I
said; IF you want to see how | sper
my time must be boss, because, "
know, if you are boss. it will be he
you spend the time, and you will n
learn any thing. So, you will have
play that you are a boy, that l a
master, and then we will have tim
is it whizz?" he asked.
| assured him that it was q whi7
rightly Interpreting that strange wo
to mean, a GO, or agreed to. and h.
ing passed my word was bound.
Said Samuel: Tomorrow morni
we will get up early and hitch the v
horse to the chariot and drive to
drain near Mecox Bay to catch mu
mics Ga small fish) to use for b;
This before breakfast. After bre
fast We will go pickerel fishing throu
the ice."
Gayly the boy talked of the COM
sport, and earnestly he said: "Now
X We get lot of mummies we can pr
ably catch lot pickerel. If we
We will give them to Ted. You S
Ted has not much money and he is fe
of pickerel, and if we give him the t
he will not have to buy any dinner
his boys for one day." So it was agr,
between us that Ted, whoever he n
De- should have the fish, provided
caught any.
The morning was perfect. The
was frosty. There was no wind,