Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1875 — Bob. [ARTICLE]

Bob.

“Bob Noyes, do stop your racket Nobody can have a minute’s peace if you are within hearing.’’ Bob’s face flushed scarlet, and he laid down the hammer, leaving the hail half driven. He turned the toy wagon he had been Working on over and over, with a wistful look which told of a pitiful heartache. It was a pretty toy wagon in his eyes. and he made even’ bit of it himself, sad if he could only drive six nails more -it would be finished. But there must be no racket, so he laid it away carefully, and going into one corner of the yard stretched himself under a tree, and kick- * ing the turf with his heel pondered over his many troubles. His mother had said there was no peace for anybody if he was within hearing; but oertainl.v there was no peace for him anywhere about home. He had slipped into the parlor after dinner, and was having a good chat with Mrs. Somers, and she was telling him of three wonderful black and white spotted poppies at her house, when Sister Jennie came in and asked him what he was imposing on Mrs. Somers for.. He wasn’t imposing. Mrs. Somers said so. Guess he could talk as well as Jennie, if she was eighteen two months ago. But Jennie made him leave the room without learning how the littlcst and prettiest spotted puppv got out of the cistern when he fell in. Maybe he didn’t get out. Bob kicked harder and wished he knew. After liis ejection from the parlor Bob started to the garret to console himsell bv rocking in the old-fashioned reu cradle Grandmother Noyes rocked papa and Uncle John in, but Nell and the boys would not let liifti in; they were getting up surprise tableaux and “ didn’t want any little pitchers around.” He sought Ins father’s study to look at an illustrated edition ot natural history.. But papa objected; ‘‘he couldn’t have Bob in there making a disturbance.” Almost heart-broken lie turned to his mother’s room. “Go right away, you will wake the baby,” met him at the threshold. He looked into the kitchen and begged to help make pies, but Bridget told him to clear out. He next went to the woodliouse and sought to assuage Ins sorrows by working on bis wagon, and now he was forbidden that. He could not understand why he was driven from everything; he had not been a bad boy and lost his temper. It was beyond bis six-year-old philosophy. Ills poor little brain puzzled over what older children called “certain inalienable rights” without finding a solution of bis troubles or coming to a conclusion. Had he been strong-minded he might have called a convention and declared that m the present order of things little boys have no rights which big folks are bound to respect, and dratted petitions for a change; but he was sensitive and submissive and let people snub him and trample on liis toes without remonstrance. The tea-bell roused him from' liis cup of bitter, puzzled thoughts. “ Bob, come to supper.” He wouldn’t have so wait, that was some consolation. At the table Mrs. Noyes was telling Mrs. Somers about a troup of performing monkeys. “ One of the monkeys with a striped tail, played on the violin, and ” “ Mamma, it was ring-tailed,” interrupted Bob, eager to have the account exact. “ Bob, how many times have I told you not to interrupt ?" Bob subsided, but he knew it was ringtailed, for lie had Counted the rings and had watched it half an hour while his mother gossiped with Mrs. Layton. “ All the monkeys turned somersaults when the keeper played Captain Jinks," continued Mrs. Noyes. “ Mamma, it wasn’t Captain Jinks, it was ‘Oh, varc is myne little tog.’ ” “ Bob, if 3’ou talk any more at the table I’ll send you to bed.” Bob was correct, and he knew it; he could whistle like a mocking-bird, while Mrs. Noyes did not know one tune from j another.* The two reproofs in the presence of Mrs. Somers was too much for his sensitive, bashful temperament, and mortified him beyond self-control. His little fingers trembled and dropped a glass of water, spilling its content i upon the cloth. “ Bob, where’s your manners? Leave the table instantly!" commanded his fattier. The children all laughed, and Jennie called Bob an “ill-mannered little boor,” and the mortified little fellow crept sadly into bed and sobbed until he fell asleep. This boy’s experience was a fair sample of Bob's whole boyhood. He must not sing, whistle, shout, ask questions or pound,"yet he must keep liimselfkandy to run on errands and pick up chips. He must not talk to company, lor little boys are to be seen and not heard—he must not have any company of his own, because he did not know liow to behave properly. The idea that Bob had any feelings or rights was not tolerated. The family did not intend to act unjustly; they loved Bob, but they were selfish and did not want to be disturbed, and Bob was noisy, and such an inveterate talker and questioner if given liberty. He was clothed and led, and sent to school and to church and Sunday-school; surely that was all duty required. Bob made a discovery after a while. He could pound and saw ana bang as much as he pleased in Tom Smith’s carpenter shop. Smith’s wild, half-dissipated apprentice made a discovery, top—that bashful Bob Noyes had a wonderful faculty for saying witty tilings, and for whistling and singing when lie became ac quainted—ana they coaxed him off more man once to enliven the evenings at the “Excelsior” and “ Star” saloons. They were blind as moles at home until * reckless, almost criminal, deed, committed during the tumultuous period between boyhood and manhood, showed them that Bob’s young life was being oteeped in degradation and sin. They wept bitterly, but not in sackcloth and ashes. Wrapt in self-righteousness, they shifted the responsibility from their own shoulders, and as he went from bad to worse washed their hands of that unavoidable family affliction—-a black sheep. Crusader.