Red River prospector. (Red River, Taos County, N.M.) 1900-190?, 1907-03-21

-zE
The kindly looking man with the
student stoop arrested his companions
progress and stopped to watch a
small boy, who was wading in the
puddle caused by a choked gutter.
Another boy on the curb threw a
mushy SNOWFALL into the water.
splashing the wader, who, in retalia
tien, splashed back again-with his
foot.
The kindly looking man smiled.
There's true happiness" he said.
isn't he getting g%loriously soaked!"
"He is, indeed" agreed the cynical
looking person appealed to. Come
on, we don't want to stand here all
day"
Isn't it fine to splash?" said the
kindly looking man. Isn't it a joy
to kick around in the slush? What
wouldn't l give to be doing that sort
of thing again!"
There are no strings on you that
I know Of" said the cynic. There's
a pretty nice mud hole just ahead Of
us. Jump in and enjoy yourself"
81 remember the time when you
wouldn't have had to ask me twice"
"Tll dare you, then. The nan who'll
take a dare will steal sheep"
The other merely shook his head
and smiled.
do you mean to say that you ever
enjoyed that sort of thing?"
atnn -..--
Then I'll tell you that you never
did" said the cynical-looking person.
You just think you did. You wouldn't
like to be doing it again, either. You
just let your imagination run away
with you. You know perfectly well,
if you stop to think, that the waters
cold and that getting gloriously soaked
isn't a pleasant sensation, to say moth
ing of the ~after-effects. That boy isn't
enjoying it, either"
Then why do you suppose he's do.
ing it?"
Simply because he's a boy. But
he doesn't like it any more than he'll
like the resulting attack of tonsilitis
and the things they'll do to him for
it. You'd probably have pneumonia
yourself, but that wouldn't be so bad
as a sore throat-if it's real sore"
well. now, I'm sure" interrupted
the kindly looking man.
"Of course, he'll get rel the throat,
most likely" pursued the man of Gym,
ical appearance, land forget about it,
too. just as you've forgotten the sore
threats you had, but while it lasts tia
goieg to hurt him considerably. !
drank a glass of absinth about a
moath ago-by way of an experiment
and because the man who was with
me ordered it."
Did you like it?" asked the aot0-
cath of boyhood sports.
~ most decidedly did not. It's
abent the worst thing hat was ever
invented in the way of a beverage
The taste was bad enough, but the
headache l had in an hour or two was
even worse. But if you had seen mt
sitting there slipping it l suppose you
world have thought l was having q
glorious time. l did it because l wai
a man, and consequently weak anC
foolish. Boys learn to smoke, too. Dc
they have a glorious time when the.
sneak off behind a barn or somewhere
with a cigarette or a cigar stub? l!
nausea a delight? Do you wish you
were a happy, ~care-free boy again, 81
that you could experience once more
the perfectly ineffable bliss of being
sick?'
"Boyhood's days are the happiest
if VIC only knew it," maintained th'
kindly looking man.
You make me tired" remarked tn
cynic. Having everybody who hap
pens to be a few years older than yol
are browbeat and bully and scold anC
worry you-telling you that you mus
not do this and that and the other, get
ting licked for every little error .
judgment! l don't see where the hap
piness comes in. Why does ever!
boy want to be a man? To get out =
it, of course"
"A boy has no real worries" sail
the man with the student stoop.
That's where you are mistaken
again. Anything that worries us is
real worry. Anything that We feel re
sponsible for is a responsibility.
boy can yell more than l can, bu
that doesn't make him have a bette
time. And l can go and have my hal
cut any place I blame please. A DO.
has a better appetite than l have.
envy him that, l admit"
That's the point" said the kind
looking man. He has a larger capaC
lty for enjoyment"
Capacity for food, I was talkin
about" said the cynic. But what
the use of capacity if you can't ge
the right kind of material to fill it?
Chicago Daily News.
Puzzled by Glass Balls.