The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-10-23
A Chapter On Boys.
ny II. W. BEECllER.

4 boy is piece Of existence quite sep
aratc from all things else, and deserves
separate chapters in the natural history
of man. The real lives of boys are yet
TO be written. The lives of pious and good
BOYS. which enrich the catalogues Of great
publishing societies, resemble real boys
life about as much as a chicken picked
and larded upon a spit, and ready for de-
licious eating. resembles a free fowl in
the fields. With some few honorable ey-
ceptious, they are impossible boys, with
incredible goodness. A mans expert
ence stuffed into little boy is simply
monstrous. And We are soundly skepti-
cal of this school of juvenile pate de .tois
Erase piety. Apples that rippen long be-
fore their time are either diseased or worm
bitten.
So long rs BOYS are babies, how much
are they cherished! But by and by the
cradle is needed for another. From the
time that babe becomes boy until he
is Young man. he is in an anomalous
condition for which there is no special
place assigned in nature. They are al
WAYS in the way. They are always do
Ing something to call down rebuke.-
They are inquisitive as monkeysand med.
dlcsome Just where you don't wish them
to be. BOYS have period Of mischief
lust as they have the measles or chicken
poy. They invade your drawers, mix up
your tooth powder with hair oil pull
your laces and collars from their reposi.
tories; upset your ink upon invaluable
manuscript; tear up precious letters,
scatter your waters, stick everything up
with experimental sealing wax, AMI spoil
all your pens in the effort at spelling all
your paper.
Poor boys, What are they good for
1t is an unfathomable mystery that We
come to our manhood las the Israelite'
reached Canaan) through the wilderness
Of boyhood. They are always wanting
something they must not have, going
where they ought not to be, coming
where they are not wanted, saying
the most awkward things at the
most critical times. They will tell lies
and after infinite pains to teach them th'
obligations of truth, they give us the ful
benefit Of frankness and literalncss b!
blurting out before company Who'll,
budget of family secrets. Would yo'
take a quiet napi Slam bang 60 whole
bevy Of fboys through the house Ha
the nervous baby at length, after all man
ner OF singings, trottings, soothings ant
maternal bosom opiates, just fallen asleep
Re sure an unmannerly boy will DO OF
hand to bawl out for permission to d.
something or other which he has bcel
! doing all DAY without dreaming OF leave
Who shall describe the daily battle 9
the hair and the bath, the ordeal OF apron
for the table, and placing and movingur
and the endless task Of good manners
II there is one saint that ought TO stan,
higher than another on the ca!cndar,iit
a patient. sweet tempered children
nurse Talk Of saintship, simply becaus
a man lived in cave, and was abstem
ous, or because he died at the stake :
What are faggots or frey sticks for fe'
hot moments, compared to those animate
faggots which consume nurses aud go,
erLcsses for months and years, to 81
nothing Of the occasional variety Of tn
, parental Goals. $500. % q
Arc We, then, not on the boys side
To be sure we arc. II is not their fau
that they arc boys nor that older peopl
are not patient. Q b. I.rt -,H 10 =