Since Will Turned Into A Boy...

 SINCE WILL TURNED INTO A BOY
F. A. STEELE

MY brother Will, he used to be
The nicest kind of girl;
He wore a little dress like me,
And had his hair in curl.
We played with dolls and tea-sets then,
And every kind of toy;
But all those good old times are gone;
Will turned into a boy.

Mamma has made him little suits,
With pockets in the pants,
And cut off all his yellow curls,
And sent them to my aunts.
And Will, he was so pleased, I believe,
He almost jumped with joy;
But I must own I didn't like
Will turned into a boy.

And now he plays with horrid tops
I don't know how to spin;
And marbles that I try to shoot,
But never hit nor win;
And leapfrog - I can't give a "back"
Like Charley, Frank, or Roy.
Oh, no one knows how bad I feel
Since Will has turned a boy.

I have to wear frocks just the same,
And now they're mostly white;
I have to sit and just be good,
While Will can climb and fight.
But I must keep my dresses nice,
And wear my hair in curl;
And worse, oh, worsest thing of all,
I have to stay a girl!

Learn more about fashions for boys long ago:

• Breeching boys
• Most Victorian-era boys wore dresses and the reasons were practical
• Don't freak out but all little boys used to wear dresses and nobody cared!