Being a Boy

A series of humorous, nostalgic essays recalling rural boyhood and farm life, describing chores and pleasures—from turning grindstones, yoking calves, haying and ox-driving to seasonal events like Thanksgiving, sugar-camp, and pumpkin pie—along with Sundays, home inventions, early social gatherings, moral awakenings, and wartime impressions. The pieces balance affectionate observation with gentle satire, contrasting youthful energy and labor, the constraints and freedoms of childhood, and the gradual move toward adult responsibilities. Vignettes of domestic routine, outdoor adventure, and community occasions sketch everyday country scenes and consider how work, play, and tradition shape growing boys.