The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-10
MONEY ron 4 cocoANuT.
Philips Request ffeminds Mr. Gratebar of
nh Own Youthful nass.

Ms own Youthful Days.
MY son Philip" said Mr. Gratebar.
asked me this morning Cor i0cents 10 buy
. cocoanut With and that reminded me q
the fact that some years ago | asked my "a.
Their for 70 oeuts 20 buy a cocoanut with,
Indeed don't believe there has been
time since oocoanuts were invented that
boys have not asked their fathers for mon
ey 10 buy them with. Upto a certain age
boy may look upon the ooc0anut with in
difference but there comes a time in every
boys llfo when the cocoanut becomes an
object OF Interest u him, and then he goes
homo ADD asks for money 20 buy one.
"iIe goes back 20 the grocer's and looks
over the cocoanutR and selects, of course q
big ono He holds It up 10 his ear and
shakes Il carefully. To be good a cocoanut
must have plenty Of milk In It. Then he
takes Il home and borrOws a hammer from
his mother he goes into the kitchen and
sits down near the hearth. He takes out
his jackknife, and with the blade that has
been worn down nearly 20 point he bores
out one Of the cocoanuts eyes He tries
the milk In It with evident enjoyment and.
when all the other children have tested it,
II any remains Il Ia poured into teacup,
which is ser upon the kitchen table TO DO
drunk az leisure. but suspect. as q matter
Of fact, hat this IS finally thrown away.
Then, In tho natural order Of things. the
boy takes the hammer aud lays the oocoa-
nat on the hearth and cracks Il, aud when
the oocoanut Is cracked he breaks II into
still smaller pieces Theu with Ii knife he
proceeds 70 pick Il out. sampling IL mean
while and putting the pieces IN dish filed
with cold wnter piecs az nearly alike as
possible IN size, Nd that tbere shah be- no
unfair advantage, hte distributed among
the otheg children, and the rest Is saved.
For mo, the ooooanut age had passed
/ bad seen cocoanuts, of course yeaf after
year IN baskets IN front OF the stores, but
they were 10 mc no longer living issue
But when Philip brought back the cocoa
nut this morning and went into the
kitchen to crack II | thought Iwould 90
and look Oh. lie dug out one OF tho eyes
quite Ia the usual way and sampled IL, as
children have always done. and then be
handed Il over TO me- Try it, he said,
and did Then Philip gave a taste TO the
other children, and then hs poured the rest
OF the milk into teacup Just as had
seen children do won't say exactly how
many years before and be set this cup on
the kitchen table Just ~ bad done myself
and just rs have no doubt children have
done since cOcoanuts were discovered and
since kitchen tables were first made Then
sPhilip proceeded 20 crack the cocoanut, and
when be had broken II into pieces be picked
It out just rs had done, just as many
many children have done these many.
many years, and II ill seemed as fresh and
familiar 70 me as though IL was only yes
to-day that had bought a cocoanut my
SELF, and 80 know now that my cocoanut
age has not passed, aud hope that il
never will.
"And as for those who come after usf
Why, believe that the taste for cocoanuts
IL implanted by nature In the human race
and that c.ildr,n will 20 on eating them rs
long as ooooaDuts grow. and have no
doubt that the old formula will DO pre-
served; that IN due course OF time a son
whom Philip viii love as dearly rs we love
Philip viii come 10 him some day and say,
IA Philip said 70 me this morning.
Pop aVe me 10 cents 10 get a cocoa
nut with New York Sun.