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　the　world　seemed　to　him　to　be　made　of　fragrant　spices；　green　fruit；　raisins；　and　pastry；a　world　that　he　was　only　yet　allowed　to　enjoy　through　his　nose。　　How　filled　the　house　was　with　the　most　delicious　smells！　　The　mince…pies　that　were　made！　If　John　had　been　shut　in　solid　walls　with　them　piled　about　him；　he　could　n't　have　eaten　his　way　out　in　four　weeks。　　There　were　dainties　enough　cooked　in　those　two　weeks　to　have　made　the　entire　year　luscious　with　good　living；　if　they　had　been　scattered　along　in　it。　But　people　were　probably　all　the　better　for　scrimping　themselves　a　little　in　order　to　make　this　a　great　feast。　　And　it　was　not　by　any　means　over　in　a　day。　　There　were　weeks　deep　of　chicken…pie　and　other　pastry。　　The　cold　buttery　was　a　cave　of　Aladdin；　and　it　took　a　long　time　to　excavate　all　its　riches。

Thanksgiving　Day　itself　was　a　heavy　dav；　the　hilarity　of　it　being　so　subdued　by　going　to　meeting；　and　the　universal　wearing　of　the　Sunday　clothes；　that　the　boy　could　n't　see　it。　　But　if　he　felt　little　exhilaration；　he　ate　a　great　deal。　　The　next　day　was　the　real　holiday。　　Then　were　the　merry…making　parties；　and　perhaps　the　skatings　and　sleigh…rides；　for　the　freezing　weather　came　before　the　governor's　proclamation　in　many　parts　of　New　England。　　The　night　after　Thanksgiving　occurred；　perhaps；　the　first　real　party　that　the　boy　had　ever　attended；　with　live　girls　in　it；　dressed　so　bewitchingly。　　And　there　he　heard　those　philandering　songs；　and　played　those　sweet　games　of　forfeits；　which　put　him　quite　beside　himself；　and　kept　him　awake　that　night　till　the　rooster　crowed　at　the　end　of　his　first　chicken…nap。　　What　a　new　world　did　that　party　open　to　him！　　I　think　it　likely　that　he　saw　there；　and　probably　did　not　dare　say　ten　words　to；　some　tall；　graceful　girl；　much　older　than　himself；　who　seemed　to　him　like　a　new　order　of　being。　　He　could　see　her　face　just　as　plainly　in　the　darkness　of　his　chamber。　　He　wondered　if　she　noticed　how　awkward　he　was；　and　how　short　his　trousers…legs　were。　　He　blushed　as　he　thought　of　his　rather　ill…fitting　shoes；　and　determined；　then　and　there；　that　he　wouldn't　be　put　off　with　a　ribbon　any　longer；　but　would　have　a　young　man's　necktie。　　It　was　somewhat　painful；　thinking　the　party　over；　but　it　was　delicious；　too。　　He　did　not　think；　probably；　that　he　would　die　for　that　tall；　handsome　girl；　he　did　not　put　it　exactly　in　that　way。　　But　he　rather　resolved　to　live　for　her；　which　might　in　the　end　amount　to　the　same　thing。　　At　least；　he　thought　that　nobody　would　live　to　speak　twice　disrespectfully　of　her　in　his　presence。




IX

THE　SEASON　OF　PUMPKIN…PIE

What　John　said　was；　that　he　did　n't　care　much　for　pumpkin…pie；　but　that　was　after　he　had　eaten　a　whole　one。　　It　seemed　to　him　then　that　mince　would　be　better。

The　feeling　of　a　boy　towards　pumpkin…pie　has　never　been　properly　considered。　　There　is　an　air　of　festivity　about　its　approach　in　the　fall。　　The　boy　is　willing　to　help　pare　and　cut　up　the　pumpkin；　and　he　watches　with　the　greatest　interest　the　stirring…up　process　and　the　pouring　into　the　scalloped　crust。　　When　the　sweet　savor　of　the　baking　reaches　his　nostrils；　he　is　filled　with　the　most　delightful　anticipations。　　Why　should　he　not　be？　　He　knows　that　for　months　to　come　the　buttery　will　contain　golden　treasures；　and　that　it　will　require　only　a　slight　ingenuity　to　get　at　them。

The　fact　is；　that　the　boy　is　as　good　in　the　buttery　as　in　any　part　of　farming。　　His　elders　say　that　the　boy　is　always　hungry；　but　that　is　a　very　coarse　way　to　put　it。　　He　has　only　recently　come　into　a　world　that　is　full　of　good　things　to　eat；　and　there　is；　on　the　whole；　a　very　short　time　in　which　to　eat　them；　at　least；　he　is　told；　among　the　first　information　he　receives；　that　life　is　short。　　Life　being　brief；　and　pie　and　the　like　fleeting；　he　very　soon　decides　upon　an　active　campaign。　　It　may　be　an　old　story　to　people　who　have　been　eating　for　forty　or　fifty　years；　but　it　is　different　with　a　beginner。　　He　takes　the　thick　and　thin　as　it　comes；　as　to　pie；　for　instance。　　Some　people　do　make　them　very　thin。　　I　knew　a　place　where　they　were　not　thicker　than　the　poor　man's　plaster；　they　were　spread　so　thin　upon　the　crust　that　they　were　better　fitted　to　draw　out　hunger　than　to　satisfy　it。　They　used　to　be　made　up　by　the　great　oven…full　and　kept　in　the　dry　cellar；　where　they　hardened　and　dried　to　a　toughness　you　would　hardly　believe。　　This　was　a　long　time　ago；　and　they　make　the　pumpkin…pie　in　the　country　better　now；　or　the　race　of　boys　would　have　been　so　discouraged　that　I　think　they　would　have　stopped　coming　into　the　world。

The　truth　is；　that　boys　have　always　been　so　plenty　that　they　are　not　half　appreciated。　　We　have　shown　that　a　farm　could　not　get　along　without　them；　and　yet　their　rights　are　seldom　recognized。　　One　of　the　most　amusing　things　is　their　effort　to　acquire　personal　property。　The　boy　has　the　care　of　the　calves；　they　always　need　feeding；　or　shutting　up；　or　letting　out；　when　the　boy　wants　to　play；　there　are　those　calves　to　be　looked　after；until　he　gets　to　hate　the　name　of　calf。　　But　in　consideration　of　his　faithfulness；　two　of　them　are　given　to　him。　　There　is　no　doubt　that　they　are　his：　he　has　the　entire　charge　of　them。　　When　they　get　to　be　steers　he　spends　all　his　holidays　in　breaking　them　in　to　a　yoke。　　He　gets　them　so　broken　in　that　they　will　run　like　a　pair　of　deer　all　over　the　farm；　turning　the　yoke；　and　kicking　their　heels；　while　he　follows　in　full　chase；　shouting　the　ox　language　till　he　is　red　in　the　face。　　When　the　steers　grow　up　to　be　cattle；　a　drover　one　day　comes　along　and　takes　them　away；　and　the　boy　is　told　that　he　can　have　another　pair　of　calves；　and　so；　with　undiminished　faith；　he　goes　back　and　begins　over　again　to　make　his　fortune。　　He　owns　lambs　and　young　colts　in　the　same　way；　and　makes　just　as　much　out　of　them。

There　are　ways　in　which　the　farmer…boy　can　earn　money；　as　by　gathering　the　early　chestnuts　and　taking　them　to　the　corner　store；　or　by　finding　turkeys'　eggs　and　selling　them　to　his　mother；　and　another　way　is　to　go　without　butter　at　the　tablebut　the　money　thus　made　is　for　the　heathen。　　John　read　in　Dr。　Livingstone　that　some　of　the　tribes　in　Central　Africa　（which　is　represented　by　a　blank　spot　in　the　atlas）　use　the　butter　to　grease　their　hair；　putting　on　pounds　of　it　at　a　time；　and　he　said　he　had　rather　eat　his　butter　than　have　it　put　to　that　use；　especially　as　it　melted　away　so　fast　in　that　hot　climate。

Of　course　it　was　explained　to　John　that　the　missionaries　do　not　actually　carry　butter　to　Africa；　and　that　they　must　usually　go　without　it　themselves　there；　it　being　almost　impossible　to　make　it　good　from　the　milk　in　the　cocoanuts。　　And　it　was　further　explained　to　him　that　even　if　the　heathen　never　received　his　butter　or　the　money　for　it；　it　was　an　excellent　thing　for　a　boy　to　cultivate　the　habit　of　self…denial　and　of　benevolence；　and　if　the　heathen　never　heard　of　him；　he　would　be　blessed　for　his　generosity。　　This　was　all　true。

But　John　said　that　he　was　tired　of　supporting　the　heathen　out　of　his　butter；　and　he　wished　the　rest　of　the　family　would　also　stop　eating　butter　and　save　the　money　for　missions；　and　he　wanted　to　know　where　the　other　members　of　the　family　got　their　money　to　send　to　the　heathen；　and　his　mother　said　that　he　was　about　half　right；　and　that　self…denial　was　just　as　good　for　grown　people　as　it　was　for　little　boys　and　girls。

The　boy　is　not　always　slow　to　take　what　he　considers　his　rights。　Speaking　of　those　thin　pumpkin…pies　kept　in　the　cellar　cupboard。　　I　used　to　know　a　boy；　who　afterwards　grew　to　be　a　selectman；　and　brushed　his　hair　straight　up　like　General　Jackson；　and　went　to　the　legislature；　where　he　always　voted　against　every　measure　that　was　proposed；　in　the　most　honest　manner；　and　got　the　reputation　of　being　the　〃watch…dog　of　the　treasury。〃　　Rats　in　the　cellar　were　nothing　to　be　compared　to　this　boy　for　destructiveness　in　pies。　　He　used　to　go　down　whenever　he　could　make　an　excuse；　to　get　apples　for　the　family；　or　draw　a　mug　of　cider　for　his　dear　old　grandfather　（who　was　a　famous　story…teller　about　the　Revolutionary　War；　and　would　no　doubt　have　been　wounded　in　battle　if　he　had　not　been　as　prudent　as　he　was　patriotic）；　and　come　upstairs　with　a　tallow　candle　in　one　hand　and　the　apples　or　cider　in　the　other；　looking　as　innocent　and　as　unconscious　as　if　he　had　never　done　anything　in　his　life　except　deny　himself　butter　for　the　sake　of　the　heathen。　　And　yet　this　boy　would　have　buttoned　under　his　jacket　an　entire　round　pumpkin…pie。　　And　the　pie　was　so　well　made　and　so　dry　that　it　was　not　injured　in　the　least；　and　it　never　hurt　the　boy's　clothes　a　bit　more　than　if　it　had　been　inside　of　him　instead　of　outside；　and　this　boy　would　retire　to　a　secluded　place　and　eat　it　with　another　boy；　being　never　suspected　because　he　was　not　in　the　cellar　long　enough　to　eat　a　pie；　and　he　never　appeared　to　have　one　about　him。　　But　he　did　something　worse　than　this。　　When　his　mother　saw　that　pie　after　pie　departed；　she　told　the　family　that　she　suspected　the　hired　man；　and　the　boy　never　said　a　word；　which　was　the　meanest　kind　of　lying。　　That　hired　man　was　probably　regarded　with　suspicion　by　the　family　to　the　end　of　his　days；　and　if　he　had　been　accused　of　robbing；　they　would　have　believed　him　guilty。

I　shouldn't　wonder　if　that　selectman　occasionally　has　remorse　now　about　that　pie；　dreams；　perhaps；　that　it　is　buttoned　up　under　his　jacket　and　sticking　to　him　like　a　breastplate；　that　it　lies　upon　his　stomach　like　a　round　and　red…hot　nightmare；　eating　into　his　vitals。　Perhaps　not。　　It　is　difficult　to　say　exactly　what　was　the　sin　of　stealing　that　kind　of　pie；　especially　if　the　one　who　stole　it　ate　it。　It　could　have　been　used　for　the　game　of　pitching　quoits；　and　a　pair　of　them　would　have　made　very　fair　wheels　for　the　dog…cart。　　And　yet　it　is　probably　as　wrong　to　steal　a　thin　pie　as　a　thick　one；　and　it　made　no　difference　because　it　was　easy　to　steal　this　sort。　　Easy　stealing　is　no　better　than　easy　lying；　where　detection　of　the　lie　is　difficult。　　The　boy　who　steals　his　mother's　pies　has　no　right　to　be　surprised　when　some　other　boy　steals　his　watermelons。　　Stealing　is　like　charity　in　one　respect；it　is　apt　to　begin　at　home。




X

FIRST　EXPERIENCE　OF　THE　WORLD

If　I　were　forced　to　be　a　boy；　and　a　boy　in　the　country；t