The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-13

Prom school, brilliantly decorated by a
I pair of new red mittens. A number OF
vHoys we're snowballing gleefully in a
field. They hailed him. Come on,
Horace We're having battle
Horace was sad. NO" he said Il
can't. I've got to go home" AT noon
his mother had admonished him, Now.
Horace, you come straight home as
soon as school is out. Do you hear?
And don't you get them nice new nit
tens all wet, either. Do you hear"
Also his aunt had said: 81 declare,
Emily, it's shame the way you allow
that child TO ruin his things. She
had meant mittens. To his mother
Horace had dutifully replied, ''Yesm."
But he now loitered in the vicinity of
the group of uproarious boys, who were
yelling like hawks as the white balls
flew.
Some of them Immediately analysed
this extraordinary hesitancy. ''Hahr'
they paused to scott. afraid of your
new mittens, amt your" Some smaller
boys, who were not yet so wise in dis
corning motives. applauded this attack
with unreasonable vehemence. ARRAY
ed of his mit-tens! A-fray-ed Of his
mit-tens!" They sang these lines to
cruel and monotonous music which is
as old perhaps as American childhood
and which it is the privilege of the
emancipated adult to completely for
get. "A-fray-ed of his mit-tensr'
Horace cast tortured glance toward
his playmates, and then dropped his
eyes TO the snow at his feet. Presently
he turned to the trunk of one of the
great maple trees that lined the curb.
He made a pretense of closely examin-
ing the rough and virile bark. To his
mind, this familiar street of Whilom-
Vile seemed to grow dark in the thick
shadow of shame. The trees and the
houses were now palled in purple.
''A-fray-ed of his mit-tens! The ter
rible music had in 1t a meaning from
the moonlit war-drums of chanting
cannibals.
At last Horace, with supreme effort,
raised his head. faint them 1 care
about" he said gruffly. I've got to go
home. That's ALL"
Whereupon each boy held his left
fore-finger as if it were a pencil and
began to sharpen il derisively with his
right fore-finger. They came closer.
and sang like a trained chorus. "a
fray-ed of his mit-tens!'
When he raised his voice to deny
the charge II was simply lost in the
screams of the mob. He was alone
fronting all the traditions of boyhood
held before him by memorable represen-
tatives. To such a low state had he
fallen that one lad. mere baby. out
thanked him and then struck him in
the cheek with heavy SNOWFALL. The
act was acclaimed with loud cheers.
Horace turned to dart at his assailant,
but there was an immediate demon
stration on the other flank, and he
found himself obliged to keep his face
toward the hilarious crew OF tormen-
tors. The baby retreated in safety to
the rear of the crowd. where he was
received with fulsome compliments up
on his daring. Horace retreated slow
ly up the walk. He continually tried
to make them heed him, but the only
sound was the chant, "A-fray-ed of his
mit-tensi" In this desperate with
drawal the beset and desperate boy
suffered more than is the common lot
of man.
Being a boy himself, he did not I'M
derstands boys at all. He had of course
the dismal conviction that they were
going to dog him to his grave. But
near the corner OF the field they sud-
denly seemed to forget all about it. In
deed, they possessed only the malevo-
lence of so many flitter-headed spar
rows. The interest had swung capri
ciously TO some other matter. In mo-
ment they were off IN the field again,
carousing amid the snow. Some au-
thoritative boy had probably said, Jaw.
come on"
AS the pursuit ceased. Horace ceased
his retreat. He spent some time in
what was evidently an attempt to ad-
Just his self-respect and then began
10 wander furtively down toward the
group. He, too. had undergone an i'm
portant change. Perhaps his sharp
agony was only as durable as the ma
levolence of the others In this boy
ish life obedience to some unformulated
creed of manners was enforced with
capricious but merciless rigor. How
ever, they were, after all. his comrades,
his friends.
They did not heed his return. They
were engaged in an alteration. 1t had
evidently been planned that this battle
was between Indians and soldiers. The
smaller and weaker boys had been in
duced to appear as Indians in the in
itial skirmish, but they were now very
sick OF il, and were reluctantly, but
steadfastly, affirming their desire for a
change OF caste. The larger boys had
all won great distinction, devastating
Indians materially, and they wished the
war to go on as planned. They ex-
planned vociferously that 1t was proper
for the soldiers always to thrash the
Indians. The little boys did not pre-
tend TO deny the truth of this argu
ment: they confined themselves to the
simple statement that, in that case.
they wished to be soldiers. Each lit
tie boy willingly appealed to the others
10 remain Indians, but as for HIM
self, he reiterated his desire to enlist
as a soldier. The larger boys were
I'm despair over the dearth of enthu-
siasm IN the small Indians. They al
ternately wheedled and bullied, but
they could not persuade the little boys.
VINO were really suffering dreadful hu-
initiation rather than to submit to an
other onslaught OF soldiers. They were
called all the baby names that had the
power of singing deep into their pride,
but they remained firm.
Then a formidable lad. leader OF
reputation, one who could whip many
bows that wore long trousers, sud
denly blew out his cheeks and shout
ed. well. all right. then. I'll be an
Indian myself. Now" The little boys
greeted with cheers this addition to
their wearied ranks. and seemed then
content But matters were not mend
ed in the least. because all of the per-
sonal following of the formidable lad.
u,,tb the addition OF every outsider.