said to be a year old when it is born, and every New Year's day thereafter it is counted one year older.
So far I have said nothing about the dress of our village boy, and it matters little if nothing should be said about it. Yet most boys wear some sort of clothes during the greater part of the year. However, in the summer season they are often seen with nothing on but their "birthday" suits, of which it can be truthfully said they always fit. The style of the boy's clothes is the same as his father's, and consists of a pair of, trousers with large legs that look much like bloomers, and a short jacket. There is a long dress coat, more like a lady's wrapper than a gentleman's coat, that is worn when one wishes to have the appearance of being dressed. This coat comes down almost to the ankles, and is tied with two long straps which hang in a graceful single bowknot on the left side. There is not a button to be found on the entire suit, which is made of white cotton cloth and is lined and wadded with cotton to make it warm for winter use. The boy's dress coat is usually of some bright color, red, green, purple, and yellow all coming in for a share in the decoration of these village boys. Not long since I was out with a boy who was decorated in a brilliant pink coat, and a shower of rain came on which caused him to take off his coat and roll it up to protect it from the rain, which he was not able to do, with the result that his coat faded and his other clothes were splotched all over with the pink dye. Every New Year's day everybody who can puts on a new, clean suit, and those of the children are as bright
