The Placer herald., 1858-12-18
A Bows Trials.

steamers, patent medicines and horses shoulc
occupy the mind, to the exclusion Of thos;
trials which all boys have to suffer, in ;
greater or less degree, before arrival at the
age of twenty-one. We propose to consider
some of them. We suppose that the frs,
severe trial that a boy has to undergo is tc
submit his will to the old man whom he is
taught to consider his father. 70 be re-
strained in doors at night, to be forbid going
in swimming five times. in day. or to be him
dered from pinching the children, Just for
for fun, is an interference with natural, in
alienabe rights, every way injurious to the
feelings. And then, when upon some over
wheming temptation, the boy asserts his in
dependence Of parental control, and receives
a "tamng," with a switch from a ounce
bush, either upon his back or his bare hand,
it becomes really a very serious thing We
never could see that the smart Of an opera
ton like this was at all assuaged by the affec-
tionate assurance that it was bestowed out
of pure love.
The next trial of the boy is in the con-
sciousness of the low estimate which his
parents place upon his Judgment lie feels
himself entirely able to take care of himself
if he could only have bis own way. But
bis plans are laughed at, and he grinds his
teeth with impatence and anger. We re-
member little cabal of boys who used to
assemble behind barn, to talk over great
plans Of enterprise 1t was finally agreed
that all should run away, and, somewhere in
the golden empire Of the West, lay the foun-
dations Of fortune which would enable us
to return to our homes as rich as nabobs
Into their plans entered the enrchng OF
their parents with untold gold. They had
not doubt Of success. 1t was a grand
scheme, above the wisdom Of plodding fathers;
and it seemed TO be the only thing that
could possibly emancipae them from the
yoke of parental bondage. Two Of these
boys finally agreed to act as pioneers, They
procGr d box OF essence to peddle by the
way, and, in the deep and dark night, started
out IN search Of freedom and fortune. They
were to write to the others when the proper
time should come. There was a ereat rum
pus in the neighborhood when the fl ght was
discovered, but they were followed and caught
1t was said they were glad to GET back be-
cause their eet were sore. One Of them is
now Il bla ksmith, with seven children, aud
the other wire-wolker, in comfortable cir
cumstances. What they would Lave been,
if parenta, tyranny had not reclaimed them,
it is, of course, impossible to say: but if they
had been anything less than members of
Congress, it would have been a pity. The
cabal met, expressed their indignation, and
voted that they would have fought the cap
tors to the bitter end, before any of them
would have been taken. Oh. if parents
could but appreciate the wisdom of their
boys, what world this would bel
The next great trial Of the boy is to be
obliged, by cruel master, to sit with the
girls at school. This usually comes before
the development of those undefinabIe svm-
pathies ard aflinites which, in after life,
would tend to make the punishment more
endurable. To be pointed at as ''gal lbov,"
to be smiled at grimIv by the master, who
is so far delighted with his own inehabe
pleasantly as to give the little boys the
license to laugh aloud, and to be placed by
the side of girl who has no handkerchief
and no know Wedge of the use Of that article,
Is, we submit, a trial of no mean magnitude
Yet we have been there and been made to
''st up close" with the big Rachael laughing
It.
We wonder where the overgrown frowsv
headed creature is now, and what the condi-
ton of her head isl
The next trial in order is the assumption
of the long-tailed coat. We do not believe
that any boy ever put on his long tailed coat
without a sense of shame. He first twists
his back half off looking at it in the glass,
and then when he steps out of doors, it seems
to him as if all creation was on broad grin.
The sun laughs in the sky; the cows turn to
look at him; there are faces at every window;
every shadow mocks him. When he walks
by the cottage where Jane lives, he dares
not look up, for his life The very boards
creep with consciousness Of the strange spec
tacle, and the old pair of pantaoons that
stops light in the garret window, nod with
derison. If he is obliged to pass group
of men and boys, the trial assumes its most
terrific stage. His legs get all mixed up
with embarrassment, and as the flap of the
dangling appendage is left upon them, moved
by the wind Of his own agitation, he could
not feel worse were it a dish cloth, worn as
badge of disgrace. 1t is happy time for
him when he gets to church, and sits down
with his coat tail under him; but he is still
apprehensve with thinking of the Sunday
school, and wonders if any of the children
will ask him to "swing his long-tailed blue"
After the boy has become wonted to his
long-taied coat, his extreme youth becomes
a trial to him. Various resorts are adopted
to hasten the development of manhood
He watches for the dawning of beard upon
his upper lip, and when at last the shadowy
promise comes-hoats into his vision on its
downy wings-he borrows the first razor and
goes at it. His mother, or his sisters, catch
him at it. too and sllooest q dab of crearn