Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-02-14
From the Le,0tsGurg Chronicle.
Bows, Attention.!

the streets at night. Go home as soon as it is
dark, and stay there. The streets are no place
for you after night fall. You are not benefited
by 1t in either mind manners. But instead of
improving in habits or morals, you come within
range of influences that will have bad effect on
both, and may te as lasting as your lives You
will learn no good there, but must unavoidably
learn much evil. The street is the college in
which loaters graduate, and you know loafers
don't pass Tor much among respectable people,
They are OF little to themselves, or anybody
else, and IN majority of cases are much worse
than useless. The proper place to spend your
evenings is at home, helping your parents and
| learning your lessons. And when you have no
other tasks, you ought to be reading good books
not bad books, such as you sometimes find in the
! hands of bad boys-but such books as will make
you wiser and better, and fit you for usefulness
and happiness. 1t is not necessary that such
books should be dull and dry. There are plenty
OF excellent books-if your parents will only take
pains to get them for you-that are lively and in
terestng, and exactly suited to your years and
capacity. Perhaps you ale not fond of reading.
If so, we are sorry for you. and you should set
yourselves to work Immediately to acquire taste
for it, for there are few enjoyments more peasur-
able and innocent. Besides, if you want to be
weH-lnformed, you must read, and read great
deal. knowledge, lat least large part of it)
must be got by reading and hard study, and can
be got IN no other way.
But, you say you must have play and exercise.
So you must, and plenty of it too, to make you
healthy and srong-to build up and invgoraie
your constitutions, and fit them to bear the heavv
burdens that may be laid on your shoulders in af-
ter years. But 60 at it in a manly way-take
daylight for it, when sunshine and the health Civ
ing breeze abroad, and don't 60 prowling about
i'll the dark, like parcel of wild young animals
just escaped from a menagerie. All, you young
| <frt~ IL.
the lamp-light, with such a knowing look, and
your thumb at the end of your nose, as if you
were wiser than editors and parents both. We
telling you the sober truth, and it would be
well for you to lay it TO heart and practice upon
it before bad habits have grown strong that you
can't easily change them. Besides, you must re-
collect that you will not always be boys You
will soon be men and by that time your fathers
will be graY-headed or in their graves, and you
will have to take their Places and do your share
in the management of affairs. And as, in this
great and free country, the people govern them
selves, you may and many of you most likely will,
have higher duties to perform than such as belong
merely to private life. Perhaps some of the very
boys who now read these lines, may become Pres
ldent of the United States or Township Constable,
other great officer, before they die. And
as all the public Offices in this country, from the
very highest to the very lowest, are posts ofhonor
and responsibility, and require SOBER upright and
worthy men TO fill them, you must take care that
you form good habits and gain good character
while you are young, or you may find yourself in
the background, when you might just as well as
not stand among the foremost in the land.
But your duty 70 your Parents, is much strong.
er reason why you should stay at home in the
evening, and be steady and well behaved boys,
then, and at all other times. Do you remember
what the 5th commandment says Oh this subject
Well, if you don't, you had better go and learn it
right away, and obey it, too. Honor thy Father
and thy Mother"-and if you do, what then T.
Why, that thy days may be long in the land "
And if you don't, what then7 Why, as sure as
G cd reigns, the curse Of your al ingrati,ude and
impety will recol upon your own heads at some
time or other in your ife and plant itself in your
hearts like the fang of a serpent You don't know
how deep interest your parents feel In your
welfare-nor with what yearning anxiety their
hearts go out after you, when you are out of their
sight, and beyond their reach-especially at un.
seasonabe hours, and when they do not know
where you are, nor how engaged. And it is an
exceedingly ungracious and unworthy return for
all their kindness and care over yon, to add to
their anxiety, and increase their burdens by wan
ton perreseness, and ebelliouS opposition to their
wishes and authority. And now,
Parents, aoord to you.
Above, we have given your children little
wholesome advice, and we respectfully ask your
cooperation to give it additional force and effica-
cy. Teach them TO reverence your authority, and
obey your commands. The laxty of parental
discipline in these modern days has become pro-
verbal and it is unfortunately, the case in too
many instances that the children masters, and
not the parents. 1t is an easy matter to bring up
boys in the country, but in towns 1t Is confessed
ly difficult task, and requires double vigilance, and
more than ordinary prudence and lrmness. But
to be successful parental government should not
be an exercise of blind, arbitrary, and tyrannical
power, for this could hardly fail to produce lament
able results The kndliness and affection Of the
parents heart should be as manifest as the firm
and steady hand of MISUNDERSTANDING neither
cruelty, nor weak indulgence. Boys can be saved ,
rom many dangerous temptations, IT prevented
rom running al large after night and required, as
general rule, to spend their evenings within the
lallowed precincts of the domestic circle. But
o do this effectually, home should be made an at
ractiye place for them. In addition 10 the cheer
ulness of well ordered household, liberal provi-
lion should be made for the proper improvement
,f their minds so that this sautary restraint upon
heir liberty should not prove irksome and hateful.
An idle BRAIN is the DEVILS work shop" and il
You don't keep it engaged upon healthful subjects
# reflection, it will brood over such as are OF mis-
hevous tendency. BY judicous course OF
eadng, your children will acquire large amount b
# useful information IN their young days, which e
hey will not have time to get in their after liie
3u, the books which are now placed IN their q
ands should not be Of dry. didacic, and All .
truse character, such as are suitable only to per-
ono of na,nro yaars and soher Indictment for