Year: 1871

THE following Is one Of several prize
ESSAYS from bows and girls, published In
Our Young FOLKS for July. IL lis by Alfred
d. Churchill, aged fifteen:


In choosing Boys To write upon, feel
that have an unpopular subject but as
l am a boy myself, It is one that l have
some interest in. In the first place, / do
not think boys ever have justice done
them thev are never so pretty as girls,
consequently they are not wanted in the
parlor; they are not considered as bright
at school, and will admit that girls are
generally ahead in spelling, writing,
grammar and composition, especially in
writing stories and articles for Orr Young
FOLKS, 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 diffldent than girls of
the same age the Rirls.begin to wear long
dresses and waterfalls, and then they
think and speak so much quicker than
boys, that boys knowing just rs much
and often more, make poor show beside
them.


Girls can thump on a 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 II he wants
people to hear how well he can whistle
Captain Jenks," he is told it is not gem
tlemanly to whistle in the house and If
he attempts to dance a double. shuttle 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 The is quiet, nice
m eff Hauf hn fra
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, "Gfrf!boyl Girl
boyp and pin rags on his coat.


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.
| 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 thatP"


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 o'oH eyes than ever again.


The first day at school for little boy
that has reigned king at home is an event
never to be forgotten. 'a-'N


remember very well being dressed in
my best, with a cap that had tassel on it,
and thinking how nice l looked, and ex.
pecting TO make favorable impression by
my grandeur. When l came near the
school-house, after walking a mile, a mum.
her of the boys came out to meet me, and
the first thing | knew my pretty cap was
snatched off and thrown over the fence
into plowed field. l climbed the fence
with great difficulty, picked it up and put
it on, but no sooner had gained the road
than over it went again. When i got it
the second time l was considerably dis
couraged, but l did not dare to cry, as
they would have called me baby but
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. .,..s..


When the teacher came she was very
kind to me and | felt some better, but
| went home at night rather tired, and
was asked if had been "httle man !" |
said, " dunno"


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


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


Another great disadvantage the howe nf
these days have TO contend with is the
tendency to drive ahead. They don't
have time to be boys. 1 have often
thought it would have been fun TO have
lived before the flood; then a boy STAYED
a boy hundred years or so, and twenty
years on the multiplication. 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 tie mid6le.