Year: 1870

THE following Is one Of several prize
essays from bovs and girls, published in
Our Young Folks for July. II is by Alfred
D. Churchill, aged fifteen;


In choosing BOYS TO write upon, feel
that have an unpopular subject but az
am boy myself, 1t is one that | Rave
some intereso in. In the first place, do
not thin. boys ever have justice done
them; they are never go pretty as girls,
consequently they are not wanted in the
parlor; they are not considered as bright
at school, and viii admit that girls are
generally ahead in spelling, writing,
grammar and composition, especially in
writing stories and articles for OuT Young
FOtks, but in arithmetic, both mental
and written, and history, especially of
wars and conquests, the boys are far ahead.
Boys from thirteen To seventeen are much
more bashful and diffident than girls OF
the same age the girls begin to wear long
dresses and waterfalls, and then they
think and speak so much quicker than
boys, that boys knowing just as much,
and often more, make poor show beside
them. a"


Girls can thump on piano all day
without annoyance to any one but let a
boy drum little on the table, and he is
requested to go out of doors il he wants
people to hear how well he can whistle
"Captain Jenks," be is told IL is not gen
tlemanly TO whistle in the house and If
he attempts tn dance a double.shuffie on
the carpet, he is advised to adjourn TO the
barn-as if he cared to do any of these
things without an audience If he is a
noisy, natural boy, he does not seem to be
wanted anywhere if he is quiet, nice
little boy, and likes to sit by the fire, and
read and draw, and hear his grandma tell
stories, and perhaps help little about the
cooking, every time he goes out the other
boys will sing out, Girl-boyl Girl
boy y and pin rags on lis coat. --H


When we were babies in dresses, with
our hair in long curls, we were as pretty
as the girls and petted and praised, and
mad our pictures taken every two weeks.
I am often shown one of myself taken
when was two years old, always with
the remark "Could any one believe you
ever looked as well as that?p


AS soon as we are shaken into pair OF
pants, have our hair cut off, and get our
first boots, then the trials of boyhOod be-
gin, and we are of more real importance
In our Oa6B eyes than ever again. a


The first day at school for little boy
that has reigned king at home is an event
never 10 De lOIBOJJcu.


remember very well being dressed in
my best, with cap that had tassel on it,
aud thinking how nice looked, and ex-
pecting to make favorable impression by
my grandeur. When l came near the
schooi-house, after walking mile, mum
ber Of the ooys came out to meet me, and
the first thing knew my pretty cap was
snatchcd off and thrown over the fence
into a plowed field. climbed the fence
with great difficulty, picked it up and put
IL on, but no sooner had gained the roaa
than over it went again. When | got il
the second time was considerably dis
couraged, but | did not dare to cry, al
they would have called me baby bu
there was very large lump in my throat
and then to make up for their bad con
duct they told me I'd be man before my
mother. t -.


When the teacher came she was yer,
kind to me and felt some better, bG
still found myself of sUiall Consequences
l went home at night rather tired, snC
was asked if I had been little man )"
said, Z" I dunno"


The next thing that l remember thai
gave me great delight was my first sus
penders. / took off my coat and sat on
the gate'post, where passers by could see
l.
tied away and looked as unconscious as
possible; but no one noticed me aS all
and soon retired in disgust.


School is the place, after all, for bows
to find out what they are worth; if they
are bright and can contribute ANYTHING 10
the general scort or fun, they are ALWAYS
sought after no matter what dress and
position may do for them when thev get
older, as boys and with ooys they stand
on their real merits; if they fail of getting
proper respect and attention, the fault i
in themselves. The brightest scholars
are often from tb;1 families of the poor
and uneducated, but they are al ways
looked up to by those that cannot learn
easily.


Another greet disadvantage the BOYS of
these days have to contend with is the
tendency to drive ahead. They don't
have time to be boys. l have often
thought it would have been fun to have
lived before the Hood then boy stayed
boy q hundred years or so, and twenty
years on the multiphcation-t table would
not have been considered waste of time.


Well, suppose there is no help for it,
and shall soon swing cane and part
my hair in the middle. ....