The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-12-08
WHAT lSTO BE DONE WITH OUR CHARLEY?
BY HARRIET BEEcHER STOWE.

10, tuere Seeus " oe uo Place III ueufeu
above, or in, earth beneath, exactly safe
and suitable. except the bed. While he
is asleep then our souls have rest-we
know where he is and what he is about,
and sleep is gracious state; but then
he wakes up bright and early, and begins
footing, pouting, hammering, singing,
meddling and asking questions; in short
overturDing the peace cf society geuer.
ally for about thirteen hours out ofevery
twenty-four.
Everybody wants to know what to do
with him--everybody is quite sure that
he can't stay whero he is The cook
can't have him in the kitchen, where he
infests the pantry to get -four to make
paste for his kites, or melt lard in the
new sauce pan. IF he goes into the
wood-shed, he is sure to pull the wood
pile down upon his head. If he be sent
up into the garret, you think for while
ahat you have settled the problem, TIL
you find what boundless field for activ-
ity is at once opened, amid all the pack
ages, boxes, bags, barrels, and cast off
rubbish there. Old letters, newspapers,
trunks of miscellaneous contents, are
all rummaged, and the very reign of cha.
os and old night is instituted. He sees
endless capacities in all, and he is always
hammering something or knocking some
thing apart, or saving, or planning, or
drawing boxes and barrels in all direc-
tions to build cities or lay railroad tracks,
till everybody's head aches quite down
to the lower floor, and everybody de.
c!arcs that Charles must be kept out of
J the garrett.
Then you send Charley to school, and
hope you are fairly rid of him for few
hours at least. But he comes home
noisier and more breezy than ever, hav.
ing learned of some twenty other Char
leys every separate resour ce for keeping
up commotion that the supcrabundant
vitality of each can originate. He can
dance like Jim Smith--he has learned
to smack b is lips like Joe BrowG-and
VIII Briggs-hasssho him how to NEW
like a cat, and he enters the premises
with new war-whoop, learned from
Tom Evans. He feels large and valor
Gus; he has learned that he is boy, and
has general impression that be is grow
ing Immensely strong and knowing, and
| despises more than ever the convention.
alities ofparlor life; in fact, he is more
than ever an interruption iu the way of
decent folks who want to be quiet.
1t is true, that if entertaining persons
will devote themselves exclusively to
him, reading and telling stories, he may
be kept quiet; but then this is discour-
aging work, for he swallows story as
Rover docs rieee of meat, and looks at
you for another and another, without the
slightest consideration, SO that this re-
source is of short duration; and then
the old question comes back: What is to
be done with him?
But, after all, Charley cannot be
wholly shirked, for he is an institution
solemn aud awful fact; and on the an
swer to the question, What is to be done
with him? depends future.
Many hard, morose, bitter man has
come from Charley turned off and neg
lected; many parental heart ache has
| 1afk 49, 81 kHoe
that mamma and sisters might play on
the piano aud write letters in peace
It is easy to get rid of him; there are
Fifty ways of doing that He is spirit
that can be promptly laid, but if not
laid Alright will come back, by and by, a
strong man armed, when you cannot
send him off at pleasure.
Mamma and sister had better pay a
little tax to Charley now, than terrible
one by and by. There is something
significant in the old English phrase.
with which our Scriptures render US
familiar, NAN child-a MAN child
There you have the word that should
make you think more than twice before
you answer the question :-"What shall
We do with Charley?"
For today he is at your feet; to-day
you can make him laugh; you can make
him cry, you can persuade, coax, and
turn him to your pleasure; you can make
his eyes fill and his bosom swell with
recitals of good and noble deeds; in short,
you can mould him, if you take the
, trouble.
But look ahead some years, when the
little voice shall ring in deep base tones
] when that small foot shall have a mans
weight and tramp; when rough beard
shall cover that little round chin, and
the willful strength of manhood all out
that little form. Then you would give
. worlds for the key to his heart, to be
able to turn and guide him to your will;
but, if you will lose that key when he il
little, you may search for it carefully
S with tears, some other day, and neue,
3 fnd it.
= Old housekeepers have proverb
;. that one hour lost in the morning ii
: never found all day Il has a signif
canoe in this case