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loped 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；the best kind of boy to be in the summer；I would be about ten years of age。 As soon as I got any older； I would quit it。 The trouble with a boy is； that just as he begins to enjoy himself he is too old； and has to be set to doing something else。 If a country boy were wise； he would stay at just that age when he could enjoy himself most； and have the least expected of him in the way of work。
Of course the perfectly good boy will always prefer to work and to do 〃chores〃 for his father and errands for his mother and sisters； rather than enjoy himself in his own way。 I never saw but one such boy。 He lived in the town of Goshen；not the place where the butter is made； but a much better Goshen than that。 And I never saw him； but I heard of him； and being about the same age； as I supposed； I was taken once from Zoah； where I lived； to Goshen to see him。 But he was dead。 He had been dead almost a year； so that it was impossible to see him。 He died of the most singular disease： it was from not eating green apples in the season of them。 This boy； whose name was Solomon； before he died； would rather split up kindling…wood for his mother than go a…fishing；the consequence was； that he was kept at splitting kindling…wood and such work most of the time； and grew a better and more useful boy day by day。 Solomon would not disobey his parents and eat green apples；not even when they were ripe enough to knock off with a stick； but he had such a longing for them； that he pined； and passed away。 If he had eaten the green apples； he would have died of them； probably； so that his example is a difficult one to follow。 In fact； a boy is a hard subject to get a moral from。 All his little playmates who ate green apples came to Solomon's funeral； and were very sorry for what they had done。
John was a very different boy from Solomon； not half so good； nor half so dead。 He was a farmer's boy； as Solomon was； but he did not take so much interest in the farm。 If John could have had his way； he would have discovered a cave full