The hydraulic press., 1858-08-21
THE HYDRAULIC PRESS
lFross TIE Springfield Republican.
A BOYS TRIALS.

~ - thS ioll LulAlS lEGt tuG
trials ofmowing machines, fire engines
ocean steamers, patent medicines and
horses should occupy the public mind,
to the exclusion of those trials which
all boys have to suffer, in a. greater or
less degree, before arriving at the age
of twentysone. We propose to con-
eider some Of them. We suppose
that the first severe trial boy has to
undergo is to submit his will to the
old man whom he is taught to consid-
or his father. To be restrained in
doors at night, to be forbidden to 90
in swimming FIVE times day, or to be
hindered from pinching the rest of the
children, just for fun, is an interfer-
ence with natural, inalienable rights,
every way injurious to the feelings
And then, when upon some oyerwhel-
ming temptation, the boy asserts his
dndedendence Of paternal control, and
receives a tanning" with switch
from ounce bush, either upon his
back Or his bare feet, it becomes real
~ very serious thing. We never
could see that the smart Of an opera
ton like this was at all assuaged by
the affectionate assurance that it was
bestowed out of pure love.
The next trial of the boy is in the
consciousness of the low estimate his
parents place upon his Judgement
He feels himself entirely able to take
care of himself, if he could only have
his own way. But his plans are
laughed at, and he grinds his toeth
with impatience 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 gol-
den empire Of the West, lay the foun-
dation OF fortune which would ena-
BILE US to return to cur homes as rich
as nabobs. Into their plans entered
the enriching of their parents with
untold gold. They had not a 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 emancipate them
from the yoke Of fpaternal bondage
Two of these boys finally agreed to
act as pioneers. They procured a
box Of essences topeddle by the way,
and, in the deep and dark night, star
ted off in search of freedom and for
tune. They were to write to the 9th
ers when the proper time should
come. There was great rumpus il
the neighborhood when the fight was
discovered. but they were followed
and caught. 1t is said that they
were glad to get back because theil
feet were sore. One Of them is now
q blacksmith with seven children
and the other wire-worker, in ccm.
Portable circumstances. What the,
would have been, if parental tyran.
ny had not reclaimed them, it is. O
course, impossible to say; but fthe,
had been anything less than member:
Of Congress it twould have been a pity
The cabal met, expressed their indig,
nation, and voted that they woulc
have fought the captors to the bite,
end before any one of them woulc
have been taken. Oh. if parents
could but appreciate the wisdom O
their boys, what different worlc
would this be-
The next great trial of the boy is t.
be obliged, by cruel master, to ST
with the girls at school. This usual
y comes before the developments o
those undefnable sympathies and af
finities which, in after life, woulC
tend to make the punishment more
endurable. To be pointed at as
"gal>boy," to be smiled at grimly b.
the master who is so far delighted
with his own inefable pleasantly a,
to give the little boys the license tt
laugh aloud, and to be placed by th,
side ofa girl who had no hankercheif
and no knowledge of the use of tha
article, is, We admit, trial Of n,
mean magnitude Yet we have beer
there, and been made to "sit up close, ;
with the big Rachel laughing anc
blushing till we came to hate bel
name. We wonder whore the over
grown, frowzy headed creature il
now, and what the condition Of hel
head is.
The next trial in order is the as
sumption Of the long-tail coat. We
do dot believe that any boy ever put