Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-03-16
ROYS AND GIRLS.

can:
BOYS AND GIRLS.
Where are they? Wha, has become oi
the juvenile race that usrd 10 make the wei
kun ring " iih The irolcs0me lnnghler, the free
unrcstrainod sports. lAr '"lsUy innocent pas
times Of happy bnyhord aud glrhood p
What has become of that beautiful race of
fair haired, rosy checked healthy, wholesome
boys and ,he warm. radiant sunshine OF girl
ish faces. with steps as elastic aud graceful
az thar of wood nynph, with laugh sweet
~ than ,he music of singing birds, with oil
their naiuralness. their unaffected ease. and
the beautiful confidence which is the proper
heritage OF early youth
Byron might well have sung in his day
'sweei is the laugh of girls"
! II was heard then. and now IN the "grccr
lanes" of merry England, on The sunny Pla'n'
of France, along the vlnc-clad hills of Ter
many aud else where, these "celesilal voices
may br heard but not IN maticr-oi-iact Amen
ca. No; they are not hero. During the
Revolution II was not thus. When children
had To choose play ground that was secure
from shells and round shot, it was not thus.
l There is no boyhood nor gihhooL now
/ There is the birth, the baby-haoJ, manhood,
w"manhood, and death. These arc the t.
pochs which divide I.lo shat
II t. hoyers like stars
'rwiXt night and ni"rn.
/, Upon the horizons verge"
\ Oar American boys are not well grown
boys they are homancnIi. as Crylc would
+ay--miniature men. d.csscG up en- bOiifS,
with long-iaiCd coats, or smart frork cOats,
gloves canes, aud TOO often brave ~ cigar
smoke. Their hair IT - long and manly
their carriage most particularly erect, and L
stumble agalns, curb stone and roll ~ u 1t
tie clean dirt woAId bet calamity. Their ia
scs are grave and thoughtful with the 'hroes
al nnscrni manhnod their address profound.
\ y calculating, aud rejecting the wisdom OF
\ The incipCnt man Of the world, ms IT they
knew sorrow, and had taken deep, very deep
\ glances into that wonderful storchouse o'
mysteries, which The day of Judgment alone
1 will clear np-ihc human heart.
Il The clrls How many of them are allow
cd Ia give forth the impulses of their grncr-
Gus sensitive natures! They, lon. are ltlh
women. They too oiicR do no, kiss then
manly broihcrs, much less are they caressed
by them, They are liit'e women, deep H.
the mysteries of ih" toilet, ,redo,pt Of cosnet.
les, perhaps verscd ~ hcmsiliching and wor-
king lace their very dolls have bustlcs, and
| they. poor things, with forms cast IN mould
l oi Gods own workmanship. whose ever,
curve and every development Is beauty md
aad lovclincss, mus, wear busil"s too. Hard
ly do they Carn their brothers sinckingS, oI
hem his hanJkerrlictS, or delight III the han
| dy.work of making his linens.
H When half grown they arc serious, sober
women. They dance and sing, and smile
and simpor mcihodIcalIy. They walh oi
stills, or dance with evident constiaint, apt
| by-and-by we expect they will not dance NJ
|. all. We expect soon 10 soc tho little bcings
vii eyes fixed alone ,n CIR ~ igibnr'S dch
cicncies. ALI ,haw wr0ngio check The buoy
ancy, the cShilara,ion, the ,yons outbreaks
| N these young creatures, whether II be ~
roniping, or running, or dancing. and whcth
1 or The dancing hc io th" music Of their own
voices, of the pinno, of the violin. or the harp.
or The iabrct. or oin Grunan band, If provi-
deniially they nigh, pick one up for love o.
money.
This is n dcmnrc, STUPID, hypocrliical, ham.
bngglng age, aud We are going one OF these
days 10 say more about A.
Exaggerated, but not altogether un
true. Girls and boys are indeed ro,u
ares among us, but through the mercIlu
goodness Of Providence, there are some
children vet left. To be sure parents Dc
! their possible To convert ,he children
first into apes and monkeys, by dressing
them up in all manner of tnnics, and
| Greek capotps, and Scottish tar'ans,
with preposterous caps and long curling
rinelets, and so parading them through
The streets to be stared II, and learn les
sons Of vanity {; and worse even than thl.
the poor little things are hurried as fast
as possible into the condition of young
ladies' and gentlemen, by the aid OF fash
Ionable boarding schools for The former,
and Of billiard-roo,ns, segar-shops with
pretty scgar girls behind the counters
oyster. saloons, fast iroiiing horses, din
ner-par,ies at the Astor, Champagne,
brandy -juleps, gold watches, and unlimi-
ted credit with the inilors for tho latter.
Il The ginning Of the evil Is III the mis-
management Of children. Not one pa.
rent n fifty seems TO have an idea that
children have bodies for any other pur.
pose than to put fine clothes on and 60
abroad for show. Infants scarcely out
of The cradle are sent to schools, cram.
med with ridiculous oiooies and supplied
ad llbitum with "science made easy ioI
juvenile minds" instead Of being allow
ed to run about, and tumble heels owe,
head and learn how To use their limbs
and lungs IN the fresh air, ann TO read
1 Mother Bunch, Goody Two-Shoes and
Robinson Crusnc. Boys are stuffed with
1 ,,;n ,pI Ern.E ouain-t m st tnnnc oh n(