Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-07-25
WHEN YOUR BOY COMES FROM
SCHOOL.
BY KATE THORN.
New York Weekly.

BY KATE THORN.
New York Weekly.
What an appetite he has How hungry
he is always! How the cookies vanish
and the gingerbread disappears before his
determined onslaught! He is all noise,
and impulse, and warts. and freckles!
His hands are dirty-his tinger-nails
trimmed with black; he has stuck a ''cud
of gum to the shelf in the pantry to clear
the way for the edibles and his trousers
are torn at the knees, and he smells of fish
bait and peppermint candy, but he is your
boy, and you love him.
The house is turned upside down i'm
mediately. He wants string for his
kite He want his ball mended. He
wants money for Jim, to pay him the boot
on the jackknife he has snapped. He
wants to GO fishing with Tom and Jack.
He Grams his mouth full of bread and
butter, and with the jelly running out of
the corners, he makes his wants known.
Ma, can't have bicycle? | want
one. Where pa? Who's been here
with a carriage? Where's my box of
worms? wish had pistol, or shot
gun. Jim's got one. Say, ma, teacher
says we been late twice and it's only
just once. Jim been late dozen times,
and never got marked. did ten examples
to-day. | wish had a new slate Oh
ma, the circus is coming next month!
Cant 90 every day? | wish | was in a
circus. or menagerie! Wouldn't | have
Jolly old times! Going to school is awful
slowl Tom dog bit Mike Lane They
think he's got The hydrophobia. 1t was
in the leg and he had two white ears and
white tail, and he'll sit up hke-like-
well. like anything. should like to have
dog! Say, ma. amt there any cuStard?
Tom has rlince pie all the year round at
his house. Oh, say. ma, can have
three kittens? Mikes mothers cat has
got five, and they II give me three! Mike
said SO! Amt they real good! Halo!
these comes the boys! They We got their
poles! Where's my line? Don't let Min
me eat up all the cake | shall want some
when | get back! You won't let her, will
you, ma?
And with a whoop and a hurrah, he
dashes out of the house, and leaves a
track of mud behind him, and a generally
disordered room for you to clear up.
But you do not mind It, You GO about
it maybe with a sigh, but you are not I'M
happy in doing it. You are only tired
| He is no doubt pest-at least, he would
| be to any one else-but not to you. He is
| your boy, the brave, generous, wideawake
boy WHO loves you, and who is to be the
! prop and stay If your old age.
You look after aim as he scampers off
along with the other boys. Tanned and
torn, noisy and boisterous, his cap on
askew, his shoes untied-but still your
boy.
How glad you are that he is yours! How
you pity those woman who have no boys
like him! How you recall his good quail
| ties, and allow his faults-and Heaven
knows they are many-to retire into the
| background! 1t is true he pulls the cat S
tail to hear her growl, and he likes to set
the hens to cackling, and it is fun for
him to tie tin cans to the stray dogs. but
you excuse him by saving that he is not
cruel-it is only his fun; and you miss
him when he is gone, and you long for
him to come back; and when he sneaks in
about dark, with his feet soaking wet,
and his face bitten by mosquitoes and his
hands scratched with briers and two frogs
and a small-sized mud turtle, by way of
trophies, you listen to the doleful story of
how Tom pushed him into the brook, and
Jim caught all the fish that he scared up
and you clean him, and comfort him. and
love him, for is be not your boy.