Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1908-03-02
JUVENILE AMBITIONS.
IeaIousies and Warnings That
Beset the Small Boy.
HIS MISERY AND TRIUMPHS.
The Things That Other. Boys Had and
He Wanted and Couldn't Get-A Fat
Mans Memory Deeply Stirred by
Pair of Sleeve Protectors.


Mans Memory Deeply Stirred by
Pair of Sleeve Protectors.
THE other day at poultry market
saw chicken butcher wearing a
pair of those basket sleeve protectors,
and l stood and laughed like a FOOL
said the fat man. First time I'd seen
a pair of basket sleeve protectors for
years and SO just had to laugh. Tell
you why. When | was tike | used
to look with wonder and awe upon a
fellow who wore Il pair of basket
sleeve protectors. | considered that
fellow with a pair of those things was
all right. all right, plus some more.
They had kind of jaunty air
about 'em that | couldn't and can't de-
fine. but it was there. and | revered
and reverenced 'em. | made up my
mind that if l ever grew up and got
the price, me. too. for pair of those
basket sleeve protectors, no matter
what sort of work I'd happen to tackle.
Queer dickenses. boys, eh? Mem
Der those patent pencil attachments
that marketmen used to have-may
have 'em yet-hitched to their aprons?
Well, thought those we're pretty nifty
things, too. and | used to secretly
banker to own one of 'em. Made up
my mind that would own one of 'em,
too. when ] got to be a man. but some
how | never seemed to want one
when reached the shaving age.
Guess some of my ambitions as q
boy were pretty crazy anyhow. l was
SO jealous of the first boy l ever met
that could spit through his teeth at
mark and hit it that hated him. That
same boy pretty early in life got job
driving a delivery wagon for grocery.
Well. pretty soon after he got that job
he was wearing q pair of those patent
elastic sleeve supporters, or holders. or
whatever you'd call 'em-thngs with
clutch at either end that pulled the
cuff back from the wrist. This boys
pair of those things were pink elastic.
and how he used to faunt 'em before
my eyes!
He knew blamed we'll that those
pink elastic sleeve supporters looked
finer to me than any Star of India or
Victoria Cross could possibly look. and
he knew besides that because | had
to go to school and wasn't earning any
| thing there wasn't possible chance
on earth for me to get pair like EN-
and so he just held 'em over me and
| made my life miserable. Yet when I
| got to the wage earning age | never
seemed to care at all for pair Of pink
elastic sleeve supporters.
| Another boy that l hated had a
maroon colored cardigan jacket That
was before the day of sweaters. This
| hated boy wore the cardigan jacket
beneath his regular outer coat and so
he didn't have to wear any overcoat
That, | considered was a gorgeous
| blessing-not to have to wear an over
coat to school. l despised this boy for
| having it on me that way. Anyhow,
his maroon colored cardigan jacket had
couple of pockets in front that he
kept full of all kinds of junk-some-
! times he even carried mice to school in
'em. And that made my indignation
all the greater-the fact that he had
those two fine covered up pockets to his
cardigan jacket.
.One great triumph did come to NY
tike life. though. and that was the fact
that | was the first boy of my school to
own pair of copper toed boots. Well,
| Sprang the first pair, as say. at my
school. and guess | didn't break the
hearts of all the other boys or nothin'.
Besides the copper toes. these boots
had red tops. with a silver star and
crescent stamped on the red tops, and
that made the blow all the more fright
full to the other lads that had to see
me stalking around in those boots
After awhile. though. nearly all of the
other youngsters showed up with cop
per toed boots and thus took the wind
out of my sails.
eve never see boys wearing peaked
caps any more-notice? l don't NEAR
these dinky little cloth caps with peak:
to 'em. but regular soldiers caps will
| glazed peaks. First boy that turned
; up in our neighborhood with one Of
those things on made a sensation. al
right This same boy had got hold O.
carpenter pencll somewhere. dn(
he'd stick that carpenters pencil un
derneath his forage cap. with tn,
sharpened end projecting in a might.
blase way that certainly caused us t.
: regard him as some pumpkins. l wa
| always crazy for carpenters pencil
i when | was a boy. but never go
hold of one-never did have mucl
luck when was a boy anyhow. NJ.
folks were too blamed respectful BILE.
las matter of fact-you can believ
it or not. but I'm telling you the trutl
they wouldn't let me at the age 0
e ten apply for the job of brakeman o.
passenger train. That. thought
was the finest job in the world-brake
man on a passenger train-just swing
ing u red lantern all the time. an
/ wearing a peaked cap mostly on tn
t left ear, and the peak pushed back S
t as to show an oiled hang plastere
4 down. and sitting on a wood box i