It had been more than a year since Uncle Peabody had promised to take me into the woods fishing, but most of our joys were enriched by long anticipation filled with talk and fancy.
I lay planning my behavior in the woods.

It was to be helpful and polite and generally designed to show that I could be a man among men.

I lay a long time whispering over details.

There was to be no crying, even if I did get hurt a little once in a while.

Men never cried.