Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1858-04-09

1t has cost the world ages of experience
to earn an appreciation Of the position and
character Of woman, and we have not yet
attained to a knowledge OF the true position,
requirements, and character Of the child.
One reason for this ignorance may be due
10 the fact, THAI the study Of the condition
of childhood requires the mind to turn back
upon itself, and observe its own motions,
mental process coftrary 10 The habits Of na-
ture, and which h male the secrets OF the
mind far less attractive 10 most persons
than The secrets Of patented 4chine for
the Matching OF chickens. Look at the man
fo.d different systems OF education. One
might suppose that the mind Of the child
was mac tor curious vNperimcrrs. 80 find
hy what variety ot place. or by what clip
ping and coaxing, 4 might be brought TO
a-satne sasaaift Sty4. ~ ssroyvi h, witifuur
ever being suffered 10 put forth tBe laws of
its own nature. We cannot but look upon
that elias, Of beings stigmatizcd by the term
boys with some lively touch of pity. Par
ticularly when tfansplanted from the soil
where they were born, and laced under
foreign influences, are they deserving OF
this humane sentiment. W uld any man
who has passed moderately comfortable
life be willing to live over the decade be-
tween his fifth and fifteenth year? Does
any one feel a response in his heart TO that
lyrical wish, now popularized by the street.
organ, 10 be a boy again? The truth is,
that the boy. as regards his conception of
his own nature and It's due education, is in
advance OF his age. He is not understood,
or is misunderstood. We arrogantly put
him into that class which Sir William
Blackstone denominates ferg Rdtur@, and
base our plans for his Improvement upon
the assumption of his total depra,ity. He
has ambition which burns out in disappuint-
ment; he has dreams OF heroism aud love
which he dares not conlide to another; he
has keen sensibilities which his elders do
not forbear to taunt or TO disregard; he
has an understanding of matters whereof
he is assumed to be ahsurdly ignorant; he
has aching doubts about life and death
whi Ii he knows not whore 10 satisfy. Of
ten, like one who wanderS IN The dark, his
reason and half-knowledee fail
to guide him through the night into which
his more mature fancy hurries him, and he
stumbles over ehasHis, or starts al those aw-
ful phantoms Of the brain which the finn
ness of ripper intellect cannot at al times
exercise. The loneliness of night, the mys-
terry Of the heavens, the sadness OF good
by, fill his imagination and grasp his whole
soul with power which lessons as he adj
vances in years. Like oung Albano, in,
Jean Paurs delectable romance of Titan
he has 10 restrain aud Tide within himself
all his emotions, his longings, his precious
thoughts, for fears Of some stern father or
some domesticated Diogenes; or if he ven
lures to unbosom himself 20 an imagined
friend of his own age, asking only for the
bread ofsympathy Which his heart Graves.
it is but to find himself possessed Of the
scorpion of lreachery and neglect aud per-
haps, at last, he flies to the beauty OF some
aInia5le girl, whom his ardent enthusiasm
clothes with every grace and every virtue,
who smiles upon him. and comprelends him
no more than he compfehends the OCEAN
North Al6eTicaa Rerteao.
UNNECESSARY CRlTIcIsM If YOU would