New Britain herald., 1914-07-28
Barefoot Time.
Indianapolis News.

The sun has been shining with in- creasing ardor and long ago there was borne on the wings of the breezes that play across the fields the mes sage to the small boy that barefoot time was here. Barefoot time! An, what a caravan of memories, phan- tom like, appear on the mental hori- zon at mention of the words!
 Memory draws q picture of coun- try lane, bathed alternately down it's way in the sun and the shade of the
 locust trees that line its edges. A barefoot boy meanders down the hot,
 dusty road, the dust squirting away from the impact of the small feet as they pad noiselessly along. Perhaps 1t was journey through the hot sum- mer sun of midday to the neighbors s a half mile .Ip the road on an CT rand for mother. The shade of the locust was as welcome to the way farer as the sight of the fronds of the date palm to the desert traveller. The padding feet stopped for an instant at the invitation of the trees shade.
 Perhaps the boy saw Hiram Hen sleys boy coming in the opposite di- rection and waited on the switch. so to speak. Hiram's boy had to tell all about the foxs den he had discov- cred over on Wilkins ridge. Brown feet drew mysterious symbols in the cool dust as they talked. Now and again dusty volcanoes erupted from
 between spread toes. Then Hiram s boy moved on without a word or goodby. -.... '.''''.'.' '' Y.
 Or it may have been in the even ing that the bare feet sought the road. The cows must be brought up from the woods pasture, and the boy had just dumped the last armful of wood into the box behind the kitchen stove when he was urged by the voice of his mother, Johnny, you'd better run down and get Betsy and Mary Ann. It'll be dark before you know it, you lazy boy!''-and the playful thumb she gave the boys back took all the sting out of her words. ..t
 The shadows deepened as he went over the road. The sun had begun to sink slowly into the west, as though loath to go. The air, now rid of the heat of the day, was balmy, and the smell of the woods and the fields rose as incense to the nostrils The dust of the road was still there, but it had cooled and felt grateful to the feveriSh little feet Far across tne fields came the sharp challenge of Bob White Nearer, in the dense thicket. in a corner of the field, fitted the red of a cardinal: the frogs in the. pond and along the bayou were almost ready to begin their serenade and the drone of the myriad insects that kept the night alive with their noises had begun. The bullbats, too. were wheeling overhead in search of their nights food. All Nature seemed busy with hymn of praise as the boy went down the road after Betsy and Mary Ann.
 When the days chores were over a tired little boy crept into bed. Mother took a good night look at him she held coal oil lamp aloft. A smile played over her face as she moved the lamp so that it's rays fell on the dirty brown feet, that had got only Tick and a promise" '1f you don't watch that boy every night he won't wash his feet at all," she said to the boys father.
 "Oh, well, Mary, I was the same way" the father probably remarked. as they left the room, when the boy turned nervously in his sleep.
 And who would not, if he could, be a barefoot boy again in the country?