The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-03-17
OR BOYS And GIRLS.
A Boy ana His Friend.

One OF Laurence HStton's boy
friends was Bob Hendricks, Who lived
at Bsrrytown, New York, and IL the
February 81. Nicholas Mr.. Hutton thus
describes their boyish experiences:
| Bob was possessed OF a grandfather
who could make kites, and swings, and
parallel bars, and things which The Boy
liked; and Bob had mother--and he
has her yet, happy Bobl-wbo made
the most wonderful of cookies, per-
fectly round, with sparkling globules of
sugar on them, and little round holes in
the middle; and Bob and The Boy for
days and weeks, and months together
hen's-egged, and rode in the hay-carts,
and went for the mail every noon, and
boosted each other up into the best
pound-sweet tree in the neighborhood;
and pelted each other with little green
apples, which weighed about pound
to the peck; and gathered currants in
season; and with long straws sucked
new cider out of bung-holes; and
learned to swim; and caught their first
fish; and did all the pleasant things
that all boys do.
At Red Hook they smoked their first
cigar-and wished they hadn't At
Red Hook they disobeyed their mothers
once, and were found out. They were
told not to 60 wading in the creek upon
pain of not going to the creek at all;
and for weeks they were deprived of
the delights of the society of the Faure
boys, through whose domain the creek
ran, because, when they went to bed on
that disastrous night, it was discovered
that Bob had on The Boys stockings,
and that The Boy was wearing Bob's
socks; piece of circumstancial evil
dence which convicted them both.
When the embargo was raised and they
next went to the creek, it is remem-
bered that Bob tore his trousers in
climbing over log, and that The Boy
fell in altogether.
The Boy usually kept his promises,
however, and he was known even to
keep candy cane-twenty-eight inches
long, red and white striped like a bar
ber's pole-for a fortnight, because his
mother limited him to the consumption
of two inches day. But he could not
keep any knees to his trousers; and
when The Boys mother threatened to
sew buttons-brass buttons with sharp
eyes-on to that particular portion of
the garment in question, he wanted to
know, in all innocence, how they ex-
pected him to say his prayers!
One of Bobs earliest recollections of
The Boy is connected with toy ex-
press wagon on four wheels, which
could almost turn around on its own ak
is. The Boy imported this vehicle into
Red Hook one summer, and they used
it for the transportation of their chest
-, tIa, nd rIn
and the mail, and most OF the dust of
the road; and Bob thinks to this day,
that nothing in all these after years has
given him 30 much profound satisfac-
ton and enjoyment as did that little
cart.
Bob remembers, too-what the Boy
tries to forget-The Boys daily prac'
tice of half an hour on the piano bor-
rowed by The Boys mother from Mrs.
Bates for that dire purpose. Mrs.
Bates piano is almost the only I'M
pleasant thing associated with Red
Hook in all The Boys experience of
that happy village. 1t was pretty hard
on The Boy, because, in The Boys
mind, Red Hook should have been
a place of unbroken delights. But The
Bows mother wanted to make an all
round man of him, and when his
mother said 80, of course it had to be
done, or tried. Bob used to 60 with
The Boy as far as DR.. Bates house,
and then hang about on the gate until
The Boy was released; and he asserts
that the music which came out of the
window in response to The Boys in
harmonic touch had no power whatever
to soothe his own savage young breast.
He attributes all his later disinclina-
ton to music to those dreary thirty
minutes of impatient waiting.
The piano and it's effect upon The
Boys uncertain temper may have been
the innocent cause of the first and only
approach to a quarrel which The Boy
and Bob ever had. The prime cause
however, was, of course, a girl. They
were playing, that afternoon, at Chol.
we'll Knox's, when Cholwell said some
thing about Julia Booth which Bob re-
scented, and there was fight, The Boy
taking Cholwel''s part; why, he cannot
say, unless it was because of his jeal'
ousy of Bob's affection and admiration
for that charming young teacher, who
won all hearts in the village, The Boys
among the number. Anyway, Bob was
driven from the field by the hard little
green apples of the Knox orchard
more hurt, he declares, by the deser.
ton of his ally than by all the blows he
received.
1t never happened again, dear Bob
and, please God, it never will!
Another trouble The Boy had in Rec
Hook was DR.. McNamee, q residen
dentist, who operated upon The Boy
now and then. He was little more
gentle than was The Boys city dentist
DIR. Castle; but he hurt, for all that
DR.. Castle lived in Fourth street. oppo
site Washington Parade Ground, ant
on the the same block with Clarke ant
Fanning's School. And to this da,
The Boy would go far out of his wa,
rather than pass DR.. Castles house
|, Personally DR.. Castle was a delightful
! man, who told The Boy amusing stories
which The Boy could not laugh a
: while his mouth was wide open. Blu
professionally DR.. Castle was to TIL
Boy an awful horror, of whom he al
ways dreamed when his dreams wer