Mark Twain reflected on his soft nature regarding the shananigans of boys in a letter posted Nov 30th, 1900. For those of us raising & loving the modern day Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn, Twain's sentiment speaks directly to that irresistable quality of mischeviousness that is part of the charm of boys in general. The letter follows: Mark Twain's Letters, Vol. 2, p. 702.
Dear Madam:
I know I ought to respect my duty & perform it, but I am weak & faithless where boys are concerned, & I can't help secretly approving pretty bad & noisy ones, though I do object to the kind that ring door-bells. My family try to get me to stop the boys from holding conventions on the front steps, but I basely shirk out of it, because I think the boys enjoy it. And I believe I enjoy it a little, too, because it pesters the family.
My wife has been complaining to me this evening about the boys on the front steps, & under compulsion I have made some promises. But I am very forgetful, now that I am older & my sense of duty getting spongy.
Very truly yours,
S. L. Clemens
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Part II of My Favorite Boys series:
Ethan S. Boyd
entering 6th grade, age 11, outdoor enthusiast
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Mom: What’s your personal motto?
Ethan: Try to always be nice to someone every day
Mom: If you were president for the day, what would you do?
Ethan: Well I would try to help out the economy in anyway I can & try & straighten up the bad things.
Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Ethan: I would like to join the army.
Mom: What are you best at?
Ethan: Being active every day
Mom: Most embarrassing moment?
Ethan: This year when I sneezed on someone’s chair during music and all the girls got grossed out
Mom: What makes you mad or sad?
Ethan: Thinking about my family members or friends dying
Mom: How would you spend a $100?
Ethan: I would spend ½ and then I would save the other 1/2 in my bank
Mom: What’s your favorite song?
Ethan: Try to always be nice to someone every day
Mom: If you were president for the day, what would you do?
Ethan: Well I would try to help out the economy in anyway I can & try & straighten up the bad things.
Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Ethan: I would like to join the army.
Mom: What are you best at?
Ethan: Being active every day
Mom: Most embarrassing moment?
Ethan: This year when I sneezed on someone’s chair during music and all the girls got grossed out
Mom: What makes you mad or sad?
Ethan: Thinking about my family members or friends dying
Mom: How would you spend a $100?
Ethan: I would spend ½ and then I would save the other 1/2 in my bank
Mom: What’s your favorite song?
Ethan: All Summer Long (Kid Rock)
Mom: What's the worst trouble you ever got in?
Ethan: Probably when I hurt my brother pretty bad because he was being very ANNOYING!
Mom: What’s your favorite hobby?
Ethan: Collecting historical military stuff and paintball
Mom: What do you most like about school?
Ethan: Meeting new friends
Mom: What does your mom love most about you?
Ethan: My personality
Mom: What’s the hardest part of being a big brother?
Ethan: Having to do what he wants to do all the time
Mom: I am so proud of you, Ethan!
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