Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-03-13
THE MISSISSIPPI SAY SO.
BY J.. F. HALEY.
The Trurdls Bed Brigade.

Large bodies Of humanity are inter
esting Of themselves, and man, ike 9th
er grpgarious brutes, exhibits certain
characteristic, when herded together
not developed under any other cou1i-
tons. Still! to study his nature he must
be taken singly, AMI often alone, he
cause his actions in a crowd are found,
on close analysis, to be the result of
outside influence. To know man pro
perly, he must be studied singly and as
u unit, and be compared with others Of
the race. So | propose to take under
inspection a high private from the roar
rank of my brigade. His name has the
euphonious ring of the rattle of a snare
drum in the long roll tattoo. So don't
stare when Hezikiah Mulkittle is called
to the front. Hez is q typical small boy
with one pants leg rolled to his knee, the
other under ,his heel, one gallus and a
rat nest in the upper end of his cocoa
nut shaped head. He is spry and is the
pride of the bird nest battalion of the
aforesaid brigade.
OF the furniture of a modern house
hold, nothing is more necessary than a
small boy. Without him You would
have no certainty as to when the dog $
ears or the cats tail is ripe, for you d
have nobody to pull it. He always pulls
them green. The bigness of his mouth
and the ~cheapness of atmosphere serves
him well in his ~favorite trade-waking
echoes. They never pretend to take a
nap until they find him asleep-or max,
ing q raid on an apple orchard. His
daring in such raids would shame the
bravest adventurer, except a billy goat.
He has great respect for billy, until he
can get him to try the metal of his horns
on u maui hung from the limb OF a
cherry tree. Even then he does his
laughing from the top of the barn in the
next lot, His pockets would put Dick
ems Old Curiosity Shop to shame. He
carries all lines, from his little sisters
lost doll head to a toad frog A locust
thorn or a stray tack in his heel acts
only as a stimulus to his ardor, unless
you want something done then it, forth
with doubles him up in bed with An aw
ful pain and a terrific fever. Go to the
front gate to ask your neighbor across
the street to run for the doctor, and,
when you get back, you'll find young
~Jackanapes in the next neighbor' S COW
pen, twisting the calf tail,
This partial inventory of the bundle
of p~erplexities known as Young Amer
ica'' will give a faint idea of our young
brigadier, Hez, All young Americas
are alike, only some are a good dea
more so, and the others are Americesses
The first account we have of Hez is a
a dime museum. Like all good chill
dren he readily promised to keep quie'
and ask no questions. All the way t.
town he te Is all about the wonderful
sights he is going to see, and explains
them to his admiring mama, who re
minds him fourteen times that he is tt
keep quiet after they get there. lie
readily agrees and assures her that h
never would talk in a place like that
then his promise is out, and he couldn'
if he wanted to. His hen pecked dady
bumped up Oh the front wagon seat
chuckles to himself and lazily raps hi
lazier team with his old tow whip, bu
says nothing. The instant they come il
sight of the show tent Hez has the all
overs. His mother catches him just a
he gets one leg oyer the side of the was
on. After a vigorous shake and a soun
boxing that makes his ears Jingle an
ring, he sulkily settles down with
look on his face suitable for pickle. TIL
. sights and the sounds do their work Of
, the exuberance of curiosity, and lik
, fox tail grass that has been kept i
doors by a tardy spring beyond its Sc
time for a spring excursion, it beat
against its prison doors, struggles t
drag in the wherefore of every unex
plored mystery through the wide dis
= tended portfolios Of his wonder stricke
eyes, and pants for breath through hi
gaping mouth. But the end is not yet