Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-10-25

make. their playmates happy. 10 sac a
company of well~behaved, good-hear!ea
lads. with bounding hearts, and glowing
faces, engaged in their innocent and health
ful SPORTS, never ulter'ng Protane or uh'
kind word. but making the air ring win
their merry laugh, is enough TO make us all
wish we we're boys again. So you will al!
see that / am not writing to make you feel
sad withou, cause or 10 deprive you OF any
real enjoyment.
But Of all the ways which boys tnke TO
amuse themselves, that Of firing gunpowder
is the most barbarous, absured and unproh.
table. Now my young reader. just stop
| and tell me if this is not SO. Suppose you
fire cracker or gun to make noIse'
| what good does it do you, or any body
else ? Are you any wiser or better for hear
ing The noise? Wilyou be man any
sooner, or be any wiser when you become
one? VIII your parents love you the more7
Will God love you more Will you De
worthy to be loved more, after spending
money in such foolish pleasures as Indians
and Cossacks delight in, when you might
spend it for a book, or in doing good to the
needy? .,- "a .# -. 3. .,.,
No. YOU siIl believe me when | say tina,
the pleasure derived from firing guns and
crackers is The lowest and poorest that boy
who is moi drunk or crazy, or an idiot, can
possibly enjoy. Some boy may think |
talk rather too srorg, so let us have an IL
iustraton. You all can think of some wise
aud good men whom you have not seen.
but would be very glad 10 see, say Mr.. Alb
bott, or Peter Farley, whose books have
given you so much pleasure, and you no
doubt illlnk them models of dignity, proprIe-
ty and wisdom. Suppose you should call
on them, and find them firing craekers, and
pop guns ... ..u -. :,
You may reply they are wise men, and
we are boys. Very true, but you wish to
be as wise as they are, and if SO you must
behave like Them. IF you eugage in fool.
ish sports, it makes you teelfoolish, it brings
you into foolish company in fact it makes
you foolish. Ifl had time | would tell you
a story about Napoleon when lad, who in
spite of all the scorn Of his schoo!mates,
wen, to studying mathematics, which you
all know is dry enough, while they fired
rockets. As for those lads who besides the
folly of firing for nothing, 60 about pop,
pop, pop, at harmless birds, which God
has made to fit and chirp IN the happy
enjoyment oflife, and to destroy the bad in.
sects which destroy the fruit trees, | hardly
dare to trust myself to write abou, theh.-
LIT me say to all who have no, begun this
cruel and wicked practice do not begin.
But this firing for mere spor, Is moro fool
lsh and wicked, because it is so dangerous.
IF could tell yo how many lads have been
killed by it, you would never medde with
i, again. You who read The Watchman,
recollect that in and near Boston, three
boys were killed in this way ON the 29th Of
May last, which you know Is old Election.
day. One was young Carleton, of Ando-
yer. who had been out with his fowling
piece, and stopping on his return, leaned
his forehead on the muzzle, when the gun
went Of and shivered the fore part Of his
| head 10 atoms! Another was Marcellus
Copeland that sweet singer, SO much ad-
mired and loved for his amIable manners
and generous heart, whom E.any of my
Boston readers have seen. You will weep
afrcsh to think that he was killed by firing
little brass cannon, as he called It, for
sport. ..............
.eThe worst case of all, is that Of William
Wheat, of Woburn, aged Ia. who ee"e ~
his ultimately aud awful death by the ours-
ting of gun barrel. Though he had been
repeatedly told no, to meddIe with it, yet
he loaded it and applied match to fire It
off, but the " cannon" burst, and Killed
him Instantly, fragment penetrating his
brains And shocking to tell. he lay in
this dreadfully mangled state within few
rods Of the house, till the third day before
his body was discovered.
| But the worst Of all in regard TO this boy,
is vet to be told. The last Sabbath but
two before his death, he forsook the Sab
ba,h.school, and went to a public house.
The next Sabbath his teacher reminded
him of the improprie,y of his conduct. He
vas very angry, and declared 1t was the
last time he would ever enter the Sabbath.
school. And soft proved, for though he
was permitted to attend meeting once more,
he did not 90 to the Sabbalh-school, and
on Wednesday following he met his awful
death. -.... ...s ...
Now let every boy who reads this, take
warning and never engage in the foolish
and wicked practice Of playing with gum
powder. Think Of beng suddenly sent
into the presence Of God, while SO employ.
cd. Would not every boy to prefer TO die
praying! Oh, it is a dreadful thing to be
enga ged in such business as makes you
afraid to die. Rcmemberthe boy who went