St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-12-26
THE SMALL BOY.

THE SMALL BOY.
Son,ething About q Worry Need
full Institution.
The small boy is an institution i
himself and we like hilr..
The most beautiful sight in the worl
Ito parents) is the dear little felloy
when be has just donned his first pal
of trousers and stands with head erec
and both chubby fists thrust deep il
his pockets, looking proud and happ.
ana too sweet for any thing.
And his charms grow apace until hi
trousers lengthen and suspcnders tak'
the place of the pretty shirt waist
when, according to some grumpy old
folks, he becomes considerable of |,
nuisance and oftentimes 2 terror.
The small boy is the. nearest up
proach to perpetual motion" than we
are likely ever TO see.
lie is never still or at rest Ever
when asleep he is kicking the bed GOV.
cring off continually. go
He wants to know everything and
the questions he asks puzzle the wises,
scholars to answer.
He is q curious mixture Of contrari-
ness -, ..-.
II there is anything he hates it is
water-when he is being washed-as
all mothers. know who .wrcstle with
him on such occasions
N.t ;f l~>U ind = ~
inside of ten miles he will revel in the
water and take his chances of drown
ing for the pleasure a bath gives him.
He is at times the LATEST of living
things-at other times the most indus
triouS
II asked by his parents to weed the
garden, do an errand or any little
household chore. he Immediately is SO
''tired" and looks SO mournful that in
pity for the delicate and overworked
little humbug he is allowed to slide out
of it
Ten minutes afterwards ne may be
found helping neighbor's boy work
thrice as hard or racing around the
bases in a game of baseball. shouting
with joy and ivelier than O criclse..
The small boy is always eating. The
only time he doesn't is when at the
table. for his appetite is then spoiled
for proper and nourishing food by his
frequent visits tn the ja.n pantry or to
the fruit trees sn his or somebody else's
garden. The Ereener the fruit the bet
ter he likes It and stomach aches in
consequence have TO terror for him,
No one loves to tease more than he
as his sister knows to her sorrow. and
it seems to give him the intenscst de-
light: yet If he is teascd he thinks he is
dreadfuliy treated and makes an awful
time about it. 5.st.
The collections of uric a brac that =
small boys pockets contain has ever
excited our wonder.
When the little chap is asleep and
his fond mother takes his tiny trousers
to put one or more, patches on the
knees and seat she is always surprised
that such small garment should have
such great weight.
I And she can't understand il until She
happens to strike the pockets. Then
out come the curiosities one after an.
other and carefully they are laid out on
the table before her At last the
pockets are emptied. but not before the
explorer thinks they are, like a magic
box. inexhaustible and endless.
She forgets about the needful pa atches
for awhile to gaze at the queer array of
treasures and wonder what On earth
they are good for and how the dea-
child ever got them.
There's top and piece of string
fastened To a big wooden button. lack
stones. marbles. knife without blades.
nails. beans, wad Of chewing gum.
more string, bits Of lead and tin, a
whistle, cake crumbs. nuts. fishhooxs
she nearly got in her fingers, cigarette
pictures, bent pins which have been ON
the railway track and run over. broken
bits of toys and tools. stones. a bean
shooter. leather sucker, ball, pieces
OF looking glass and colored glasses.
some putty. tip cat. rubber rings.
postage stamps. circus programmes.
peach pits, cork float and lots of other |
things which only boy knows the |
names of.
Nsen the patches are finished each |
and every article is carefully replaced |
in the pockets for the mother is well |
aware that if enc was left out it would |
quickly be missed and no peace in the
house until il WAS found.
Next 10 seeing the small b.y tru,,y;np
10 school with hooks ard slate under
his arm we love b. watch him at plav.
What energy ard enthusiasm and
skill he shows. How his eyes sparkle.
How rosy are his plni:.p checks. What |
, snap to his voice loa can hear hi, \
merry shouts far away. Little he cares
4 the weather is cold or hot or rainy. !
He's having fan snddenly his
mother calls, .'Iohnnie.- lie, So.,-t ar |
swer and keeps right I'm playing. though
less spirited and shouting no more.
''Jchnnie. The other boys look at
hun to see what he'll. ID. lie docs !
po.hing. "Johnnie. john John An!
Jhony. You hear me,- 4
Then goes back SLOW and feeble:
-les'mr Come here Instantly An
'ther faint 'ies'm," bat he don, 20