Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-11-25
What is 10 bc Done with
our Charley?
~ HARRIET srEcarR STOWE.

tH dOONe, OI tattn Uencatn, eNActfy 81
and suitable. except the bed. Whi
he is asleep then our souls have re.
we know where he is and what he
: about. and sleep is gracious stat,
but then he wakes up bright and early
and begins footing. pounding. ham
mering, singing. mcddling. and ask
ing questions; in short. overturnin
the peace Of society generally for abou
thirteen hours out of every twenty
four.
| Every body wants 70 know what t
do with him-every body is quite sur
that he can't stay where they are
| The cook can't have him in the kitch
en-. where he infcsts the pantry 10 &c
flour to make paste for his kites, o
melt lard in the new sauce pan. II h,
goes into the wood pile. he is sure t
pull the wood-pilc down upon his head
If he be sent up into the garret. 80,
think for a while that you have settlet
the problem. till you find what q
boundless field for activity is at once
opened. amid all the packages, boxes
bags. barrels, and cast-off rubbish
there. Old letters, newspapers. trunks
Of miscellaneous contents. are all rum
mayed, and the very reign of cha o.
and old night is instituted. He see,
endless capacities in all, ana he is al.
ways hamm-ring something. or knock
ing something apart. or saving, OF
planning, or drawing boxes and barrels
in all directions. to build cities or lay
railroad tracks. till evcrybody's head
aches quite down to the lower floor,
and everybody declares that Charley
must Lc kept out Of the garrct.
Then you send Charley TO school.
and hope YOU are fairly rid of him for
a few hours at least. But he comes
home noi,ier and more breezy than
ever. having learned Of some twenty
other .Charleys every separate resource
for keeping up q commotion that the
supcrabundant vitality Of each can o.
riginatc. He can dance like Jim Smith
he has learned how to smack his
lips liko Joe Brown-and viii Brigg
has shown him how to NEW like a cat i,
anl he enters the premises with new
warwhoop. learned from Tom Evans
He feels large and valorous; he has
learned that he is a boy. and has 4
general impression that he is growing
immensely strong and knowing. and
despises more than ever theconveniion-
a!ities Of parlor life; in fact, he is more
than ever an interruption in the way
Of decent folks who want to be quiet.
1t is true, that if entertaining per
sons will devote themselves exclusively
to him. reading and telling stories. he
may be kept quiet; but then this is dis
couraging work. for he swallows a
story rs Rover docs piece of meat.
and locks at you for another AMI anlher.
without the slightest consideration, so
that this resource is of short duration.
and then the old question comes back:
What is to be done with him?
But after all. Charley can not be
wholly shirked. for he is an institution
"A solemn and awful fact; and on
the answer to the question. What is
to be done with him? depends future.
Many a hard, morosc, bitter man
has come from q Charley turned Off
and neglected; many a parental heart
ache has come from Charley left to
run the streets, that mamma and sis
ters might play ON the piano and write
letters in peace. 1t is easy to get rid
of him; there are fifty wa S of doing
that. he is spirit that can be
promptly laid. but if not laid Alright
will come back. by y-and-by. q strong
man armed. when you can not send
him off at pleasure. Mamma AMI sis
ters had better pay little tax to
Charley now, than a terrible one by
and-by. There is something signifi-
cant in the old English phrase, with
which our Sculptures render us famil-
lar, q MAN 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 to-day 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. can nopld him if you will
take the trohble, But. look ahead
some years. when that little voice shall
ring in deep bass tones; when that
small foot shall have mans weight
and tramp; when q rough beard Shall
cover that little round chin, and the
wilful strength Of manhood fill out
that li0ln farm Then x-or, ycould civa