Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-04-09

/ that son will not learn traue-.he mas
an aversion to the labor and name OF a
mechanic-whatt then is the duty. oil
father To submit to the Incidence and
pride Of his son? To pamper him IN ex-
trayagance, to Dourish hun In ldlehess,
to give him superine coats and dandy
neckclutns, that he may strut before
glass, or walk Broadway, and give him
self the airs of a man OF fortune by no
means, this is weakness of poor
creature, not the irmness of a discreet
and prudent man. Besides, is it to be
expected that a parent is to toll all his
life to support the vanity and extrava-
gance of his son, when, in TACT, there is
a period when bis son should aid him r.
Who would marry, who would encounter
the cares of family, if it were not for the
satisfaction Of seeing children grow up
in usefulness, an ornament to their coun-
try, and valuable members of the COM
munity s? Things are reversed, and son
| imagines that his father is to support
him all his life time, when he is in duty
bound to arrest the cares and tolls Of his
parents, and make his declining years
comfortable.
l had lately an illustration Of two pic
lures of domestic arrangement and ccono-
my, and the contrast struck me forcibiy.
A very respectable citizen invited me to
dine with him on Sunday he was an
industrious man, with large family,
which he supported by his daily exer-
tions, and contrircd TO live very well
and maintained a coed appearance;--
his house was furnished with great neat
ness and simp'icity--his table plainly,
yet plen,ifully served he gave me no
Madeira wine but substituted glass or
two of spark ling cider he had seyeral
daughters modest and well informed, but
was particularly struck with his four
sons, the eldest about twenty. My fami-
ly said he, is large on Sunday--l take
peculiar pleasure in having them round
me on that day: my eldest son is ship
carpenter, my second is O baker, my
,hird is mason, and the youngest is
Just indcnturod TO q cabinet maker
hare thus given them their .f3rtunes,
and when their time has expired and
| their industry brings them in ther inter-
est OF their fortunes, hope to share ii
with them; have labored long to bring
them up respectfully, and therefore they
must reciproca;e, This was prudent,
lhis was proper; the young men had
each an intelligent ioois--their faces
| 10. hx- l..
the sun, and their hands probably hard,
out they were healthy, lively, and mo-
dest--they appeared like the pillars &c
The house, The sure, The safe reliance Of
their pareats in advcrsity--they were
worth score of lantics. Such men we
are looking up to in the hour OF peril, to
defend their country. Industry can have
no higher energy.
The reverse Of this picture MAS fami-
~ equally as large. and a father equally
poor and iudustrlous---h had no fortune
10 give his children, and even their edn-
cation had been as plain as possible: the
sous had neither trade nor profession,
ncithcr talent nor industry, neither mo-
IL sly NOR enterprise ; the eldest did no.
thing but loll about in Incidence, dress
bmself in a dandy coat, looking in the
lass half the day, and have a neckcloth
SO tight that Gas Knica crbocllcr says)
" his eyes and his mouth stood jar
he others had an equa. aversion.o labor,
and the father not only has to toll daily
for the support OF large family, bat al
SO, to dress these gentlemen each
Of whom should have pair Ct canvass
rowses on, and be working ct solac
useful trade; the consequence OF this
dire neglect can always be foresccn !:
such young men viii cverbe dead weights
| upon their parents, fno possible Use or
| profit to themselves or to the world, but
led gradually into vice and extrava-
gnnce--ihey evenaaIly become mere
| yagabonls on TIE community. How
easily ibis canls rs avoided by proper sys-
TEN and firmpess. When father can
| not give fortune or profession to his
SOD, let him, when his son has attained
suitable age, send hiIn forth to select a
| trade for himself, and make it obligatory
| npoa him TO choose his trade and
| when his selection is made, bind him to
1t for the term of years, and see that his
son learns this mechanic art, works dali
| ", and serves his time out faithfully /;
keep him to it forcibly-let him en-
counter some hardships and difficulties
when young and turn deaf ear to bis
comprehensive result of indolent ma
bits. Such course, il generally per-
sued, would give us hardy and ussful
race of young men and would ena-
bic parents to live comfortably in their
| der Uniptr years 7 have heard a youpr