Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-12-21
A Rows Trials.

worthy, HARLOW CASE.
A Boys Trials.
The Springfield Republican has capital arti-
Gle on this subject. Here are some extracts
His Requzations with the "OM Man."-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 consider his father. To
be restrained indoors at night, to be forbidden
to go in a swimming five times day, or to be
hindered from pnching the rest of the children
Just for fun, is an interference with natural, un-
alienable rights, every way injurious to the feel
ings And then, when upon some overwhelm.
ing temptation, the boy asserts his independence
of parental control, and receives tanning"
with a switch from ounce bush, either upon
the back or his bare feet, it becomes really o
very serious thing We never could see that
the smart of an operation like this was at all
assuaged by the sfectionate assurance that it
was bestowed out of pure love.
Sitting aoith the Girls.--The next trial of that
boy is to be obliged by cruel master to sit with
the girls at school, This usually comes before
the development of those undeniable affinities
which, in after life, would tend to make the
punishment more endurable. To be pointed out
as ''gal boy" to be smiled at grimly by the
master, who is 90 far delighted with his own
nefable pleasantly as to give the little boys IL
cense to laugh aloud, and to be placed by the
side OF q girl who had no handkerchief, and no
knowledge of the use of that article, is we sub.
nit, a trial of no mean magnitude. Yet we have
been there, and have been obliged to 'sit up
close" with big Rachel, laughing and blushing
till we came to hate her name. We wonder
where the overgrown. trowsy creature is now,
and what the condition of her head isl Z"
The First Long Tailed C0at.-We do not be-
leve that any boy ever put on his first long tailed
coat without 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 in broad grin. The sun
laughs in the sky; the cows turn to look at him
there are faces at every window; his very shad-
ow mocks him. When he walks by the cottage
where Jane lives, he dares not look up for his
life. The very boards creak with consciousness
of the strange spectacle, and the old pair of pam
falcons that stops light in the garrett window,
nod with derision. If he is obliged to pass a
group of men and boys, tbsntSi al assumes its
most terrific stage; his leg all mixed up
with embarrassment, and tlf44sp of the dang
ling appendage is felt upon them, moved by the
wind of his own agitation; he could not feel
worse were it dishcloth, worn as bandage OF
disgrace. 1t is happy time for him when he
gets to the church and sits down with his coat
tail under him but lie is still apprehensive with
thinking of the Sunday School, and wonders if
any of the children will ask him TO "swing his
long-tail blue"
Going Home With the Grls.-The entrance
into society may be said to take place after boy
hood has passed away, yet multitude take the
initiative before their boards are presentable.-
1t is great trial, either to tender or tough
age. For an overgrown boy to go to door,
knowing that there are dozen girls inside, and
to knock or ring with absolute certainty that in
two minutes all their eyes will be upon him, is
severe test of courage. To go before these
girls and make satisfactory tour of the room
without stepping on their toes, and then to sit
down and dispose of ones hands, without put
ting them into ones pockets, is an achievement
which few boys can boast. If a boy can get so
far as to measure off ten yards of tape with one
of these girls, and cut it short at each end, he
may stand Il chance to pass pleasant evening;
but let him moi hatter himself that all the trials
of the evening are over. There comes at last
the breaking up. The dear girls don their
hoods, and put on their shawls, and look so sau
cy, and mischievous, and unimpressible, as ii
they did not wish any one to go home with them.
Then comes the pinch, and the boy that has the
most pluck makes up to the prettiest girl, his
heart in his throat, and his tongue clinging tol
the roof of his mouth, and orooking his elbows,
stammers out the words, ''shall see you home"
She touches her fingers to his arm, and they
walk home about foot apart, feeling as awk.
ward as q couple of goslings. AS soon as she is
safe inside her own doors, he struts home, and
thinks he has really been and gone and done it.
Sleep comes to him at last, with dreams of Car
one and calico, and he swskes in the morning
and finds the doors of life open to him, and the
pigs squealing for breakfast.
Concluding Re1aections-W have passed over
churning, and learning the oatechism, because
we are fearful of making this article too long,
although we might have talked of butter that
would not be persuaded to come, and perplexi
ties of literary turn of mind, and a head that
measured seven and quarter when asked what
the chief end of man was. Boyhood is green
passage in mans experience in more senses than
one. 1t is a pleasant thing to think over ard
laugh abont now, although it was serious enough
then. Many of our present trials are as ridicu-
lous as those which now touch the risibles in the
recollection, and when We get to the other
world and look upon this, and upon the infancy
of the soul through which we passed here we
have no doubt that we shall grin over the trials
which We experienced when we lost our for
tunes, when our mills were swept away or burn
ed, and when We didn't get elected to the legis
lature. Men are but boys of larger growth.