Lookingback，amanreallyhasamoreobjectivefeelingabouthimselfasachildthanhehasabouthisfatherormother。Hefeelsasifthatchildwerenotthepresenthe，individually，butanancestor；justasmuchanancestoraseitherofhisparents。Thesayingthatthechildisthefathertothemanmaybetakeninasensealmostthereverseofthatusuallygiventoit。Thechildisfathertothemaninthesensethathisindividualityisseparatefromtheindividualityofthegrown-upintowhichheturns。Thisisperhapsonereasonwhyamancanspeakofhischildhoodandearlyyouthwithasenseofdetachment。
Havingbeenasicklyboy，withnonaturalbodilyprowess，andhavinglivedmuchathome，Iwasatfirstquiteunabletoholdmyownwhenthrownintocontactwithotherboysofrougherantecedents。Iwasnervousandtimid。YetfromreadingofthepeopleIadmired——rangingfromthesoldiersofValleyForge，andMorgan’sriflemen，totheheroesofmyfavoritestories——andfromhearingofthefeatsperformedbymySouthernforefathersandkinsfolk，andfromknowingmyfather，I
feltagreatadmirationformenwhowerefearlessandwhocouldholdtheirownintheworld，andIhadagreatdesiretobelikethem。
UntilIwasnearlyfourteenIletthisdesiretakenomoredefiniteshapethanday-dreams。Thenanincidenthappenedthatdidmerealgood。Havinganattackofasthma，IwassentoffbymyselftoMooseheadLake。Onthestage-coachridethitherIencounteredacoupleofotherboyswhowereaboutmyownage，butverymuchmorecompetentandalsomuchmoremischievous。Ihavenodoubttheyweregood-heartedboys，buttheywereboys！TheyfoundthatIwasaforeordainedandpredestinedvictim，andindustriouslyproceededtomakelifemiserableforme。TheworstfeaturewasthatwhenIfinallytriedtofightthemIdiscoveredthateitheronesinglycouldnotonlyhandlemewitheasycontempt，buthandlemesoasnottohurtmemuchandyettopreventmydoinganydamagewhateverinreturn。
Theexperiencetaughtmewhatprobablynoamountofgoodadvicecouldhavetaughtme。ImadeupmymindthatImusttrytolearnsothatI