The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-12-12
IF WE WERE BOYS AGAIN.
Another Talk to the Old Men That Will
Garry Them Back to Their Boyhood
Days.
W. u. Liggett in the whitley County New,

w. n. L1geett In the whitley County News.
See here you old men. Week be-
fore last we left that boy we had been
talking about at school at about fifteen
years old, the worst time IN the world
for boy to be neglected. / thought
for while we'd not have anything
more to say about him or to do with
him, almost concluded to let him get
sick and die or let somebody else
raise him from fifteen on up to twen-
ty-one, but / can't, we have brought
him along so far and he don't seem to
have any friends who Will look after
him, so we must worry along with
him, for while yet, anyway. There
are few places open for boy of tif-
teen He is awkward and green, u.s.
ually, / was anyway, and his feet and
hands are several sizes too large for
him and are in the way. His clothes
don't fit, and his nose is freckled and
turns up toe at the end and he still
''snuffs. He is between two trying
positions. He is too dig to CRY and
tell mother all his troubles and trials,
and he is not old enough nor big
enough to bear them alone. He usu-
ally feels friendleSs, alone and miSun-
derstood. He is at the parting of
the ways" friendly word and a good
ly share of sympathy just at this time
will shape his future life. If he falls
into unsympathetic and wicked hands,
he goes astray and mother and father
wonder what has gotten over "Willie"
that he seeks such doubtful company,
and is not interested i'm his work nor
school anymore.
He develops fondneSs for very
questionable reading about this time
and on Sundays he and Tom Smith
are often found in the hay NOW read
ing "The Boy Detective, or How
JOHNNY Jones Rescued Susie Smith from
the Bandits Cave" He don't 90 to
Sunday School anymore, Sunday School
literature is nowhere, when compared
to the kind he can buy at any book
store for nickle. He will get the
nickle by selling a few extra eggs,
maybe.
Sometimes the boy is made bad by
another mistaken method. At the
age we are now talking about, a boy
is awkward and uncomfortable. Of
ten not very we'll dressed, not possibly
thought to be necessary that he should
be-he is bashful and very susceptible
to ridicule-to be compelled to 60 to
church and Sunday School in his home
made clothes is misery and he rebels.
He is scolded and forced to 60 wheth-
er he wants to do SO or not, and he
gets disguised and resolves to never
GO another time after he is of age, and
don't, except to funerals. Possibly
he does 90 to church and listens to
the good trothers tell how good they
are and what firm resolves to remain
SO they have made. Then some time
after he trades the long legged, frow-
syly colt his father gave him to one of
The deaconS and gets the worst of it in
the trade by several points. He gets
suspicious then of the whole business
at once, and thinks one old hypocrite
is sample of the whole congregation,
always excepting mother.
But this boy we were talking about
week before last, the boy you and l
were, the life we would live over again
up to the age of fifteen, we will re-
turn to him, he is different, he just
lives and takes things as they come.
L believe was talking about him as
though l was the boy myself, just to
save time and avoid being too person
al you know, and not hurt your feel
ings by telling things maybe
you didn't do. l DON'T want
to hurt any old friends feeling
by anything l may say, you all know
that. AS boy again I'd be as l was
then careless, free, ragged, freckled,
red necked, shock haired boy, of coure,
I'd have to be if l lived my life over
I'd GO to school three months in the
year, and pillow corn and pull weeds
and hoe cabbage in the summer the
same as had been doing ever since /
was big enough. And when the cir
Gus came to Martinsville ten miles
from our house, I'd walk to the show
with only quarter to get into the
tent with and I'd do without dinner
and red lemonade and candy, be-
cause / hadn't cent TO buy them
with and no one 'sgaye me to eat. !"
At night I'd walk to Uncle ''Jims"
to stay with the boys all night and
next day / ID walk home and for weeks
I'd think and dream of the ssstar
spangled" beauty, who rode in the
ring and kissed her hand so gracefully
to-to-the audience who cheered her