The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-11-21
If WE WERE BOYS AGAIN
A Talk to the Old Men That Will
Garry Them Back to Their Boy.
hood Days.

CIV. II. Liggett in the Whitley County News.)
/ want to have quiet fireside talk
with the old men who read the News.
[ want to talk to them about how it
would be if we could live our lives over
again and be boys as we were fifty
years ago. may talk to the women
some other time, but not now.
Our notions of being boys again
would be to be boys as we used to be,
the real thing you know, jeans trous-
ers and all, like we were from the time
we got our first pair, up to say four
teen or fifteen years Old.
I'll talk about myself, it's easier than
to talk for all of you. The first five
years of my life as boy again I'd
hardly knowI was boy, it would
take me about that long to find out,
and probably the matter would not be
fully settled in my mind until l got
my first pair of trousers, then I'd
know sure.
Every ore of you old men would
like to teel the thrill again you felt
when you put on your first pair of
trousers that mother made for you.
They were not sawed off at the knees
like they make them now, but were
the genuine" with long legs and
''galluses. I"
The galluses" were made out of
good strong muslin and buttoned on
to the waist, front and rear, just like
anybody's. The shirt too was made
just like "Pap,s" with a wide collar
and straight sleeves without any cuffs.
I'd have mine made just like my first
ones were. they would be the for sure
ones you know. I'd have straw hat
with red wooden string for band
and my hair would be cut square off,
like crock had been set on my head
and the hair had been sawed off around
it. I'd go barefooted as soon as the
snow was off In the spring and my feet
would be chapped and cracked open
on top and bleeding. In the evening
when mother made me wash them in
warm bran mash, I'd stick my toes
in the slop bucket of mash just an
inch or maybe only half an inch and
then / ID howl like all "blixen" and
when had to put both feet clear in
at once I'd let out yell you could
hear half mile and keep on yelling
until the whole dreadful business was
over. Then I'd 90 to bed up in the
loft with bran between my toes and
sleep like log until they called me
seven or eight times IN the morning
and it began to sound down stairs as
if something was likely to occur short.
ly, and then I'd get up and 60 down
with one ''gallus" on and twisted,
and the other one dragging along be.
hind. I'd go to the kitchen where
mother and the girls were getting
breakfast and I'd stand around in the
way and "snuff and scratch" until
they made me go out to the pump to
wash. The washing would be done in
a deliberate way, too. I'd dip the
ends of my fingers in the water and
then I'd sprad. lie them out and drag
them over my face and make burrows
in the dirt SO | ID look like an Indian
striped up for war. I'd stand an6
watch the birds and listen to them
chirping and singing, and Ia sic
s'Tige" on the cat and watch it skin
up the old pear tree, and when the
mud dried on my hands and face I't
| 60 in to breakfast.
After breakfast I'd 60 out and gel
what l called my whip, made out OF
an old broom handle and a piece OF
strap, and s'Tige, that's my dog, and
/ would drive the COWS to pasture and
I'd throw stones at the birds and
ground squirrels along the lane on the
way.
At the end of the lane, I'd let down
the bars and put the COWS in the
woods pasture and "Tige" and i
would chase ground squirrels and race
through the woods until 1 heard moth
er at the house away across the fields
calling "Will-y-u-mel Wiil-y-u-me!'
and after answering .Hoo-o-o-o!" I'd
slowly go back to the house again
where I'd have to pick up chips tt
smoke the meat and make the soar
'sbile" till noon, with only an oc
casional intermission when I'd have
to chase the hens out of the garden OF
throw stones at redheaded wood
pecker that kept tempting me, by
calling out "Chere! Chere!" from 9
dead limb on the old cherry tree where
he seemed to be looking for something
a good deal of the time.
At noon maybe we would have com
pany and "Tige" and / would have Il