The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-03-26
THE PHDS OF
SMHLL BOYS
Fancies That Mamma Knows
Will Counter act Mischief.
Grandma Frequently the Only Soul
That Can Fully Understand and
Sympathize With Him.

A queer species is the small boy. and
right now queerer than at any time dur
ing the year. He is as full of schemes as
an egg is full of meat. Sometimes il is
selling vegetables; sometimes il is dig
ging up the garden; sometimes it is col
lecting snakes. The small boy never
stops at difficulties, but feels that he can
surmount any one Of them without the
slightest trouble.
He bursts into mothers room after
school with sparkling eyes and glowing
cheeks. and shouts that he has an idea
The idea slowly assumes this shape A
man is going to supply him with green
things as soon as they are grown from
a truck farm near by. The green things
are to be peddIed among the neishbors.
OF course everybody will be more than
anxious 10 patronize the young huckste-,
at least he thinks so. If someone mildly
asks how long before the things will be
ready for sale the small boy mistily re-
plies: 20, some time this Spring.
Then he goes OFF perfectly satisfied and
in imagination hearing the jingle of
chink I'm his trousers pocket. IL il is
the garden that has caught his fancy the
credulous parent listens to welI-Iaid plans
for hoeing, spading, raking and says
never a word.
Experience has failed to teach her the
fallacy of promises that are to spare her
any expense outside when the time comes
to fix up the backyard. Down town she
goes and buys a new outfit Of garden
tools. She pays almost as much for
them as ii would cost 10 hire "A man to do
her digging and planting
But" she reasons. 1T will be good
for Tommy: keep him out Of mischief"
etc. Thomas is told 10 go ahead as soon
as he pleases
He looks a little sheepfsh. then says:
We'll. not today. mother. for / promised
TO play baseball with some fellows, but
tomorrow. | will start in and work like
a beaver
The days go by. the garden remains
untouched. One man after another ap-
plies for the job but mothers faith in
Tommy holds out 20 the bitted end.
The end is very bitter. Tommy gets
scOlding for shiftlessness. Perhaps q
trouncing. He feels very much a ag-
grieved. Mother husties around and.
at the eleventh hour the poor neglected
plot Of ground is gotten into some sort
Of condition. Matters have been too
long delayed. however. The garden is q
failure. and all because mother had
faith in her small boy
A great fad has the small boy for col
leCting snakes. He claims they are only
miserable little garter snakes They wig
gle and squirm, and that is enough for
any woman on earth The other morn
ing our small boy dropped a paper par
eel on the back porch bench The cook
later on had an attack of Mysteries. and
all because of the small boy and his fad
Sh" forthwith gave notice because
of such. she expressed IT, ''unhoIy
doings." When the small boy is told
that he has frightened the cook out Of
her wits with his bundle Of snakes ne
dances a hOrnpipe in savage glee at the
glorious fun he is having
Look at him how he lodges rubbers.
There is nothing he hates more unless
it is a licking
lie will sit all day long with sOppy feet
and never be aware for an instant that
he is suffering any discomfort He re-
CARDS II In the light Of personal insult
to he asked TO change his stockings and
shoes
What funny little soul he is and how
He is only a small boy.
IF father and mother and sisters and {
aunts would remember this Perhaps be [
has one friend who can read the depths .
of his curious mind Grandmother may /
be able to do this II she cannot shs 4
small boy. an enigma has no equal