Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-11-09
WHAT Is TO BE DONE WITH OUR
CHARLEY!
From the Independent. Nov. 4 I


beneath, exactly safe and suitable, except the
bed. While he is asleep there our souls have
Tes.-we know where he is, and what he is
about, and sleep is gracious state; but then
be wakes up bright and early, and begins toot-
ing, pounding, hammering, singing, meddling,
and asking questions; in short overturning the
peace Of society, generally for about thirteen
hours out Of every twenty y-four.
Every ybody wants to know what to do with
him-everyb body is quite sure that he can't stay
where they are. The cook can't have him in
the kitchen, where be infests the pantry to get
hour to make paste for bis kites or melt lard
in the new saucepan. If he goes into the wood
shed, he is sure to pull the wood pile down
upon his head. If be be sent into the parret,
you think for while that you have settled the
problem, till you find what boundless field for
activity is at once opened, amid the packages
boxes, bags, barrels, and cast-off rubbish there
Old letters, newspapers, trunks of miscellaneous
contents, are all rummaged, and the very reign
OF chaos and old night is instituted lie sees
endless capacities in all, and he is always ham
mering something or knocking something apart
or saving, or planning, or drawing boxes and
barrels in all directions to build cities or Law
railroad tracks, till cverybody's head aches
9pite down 10 the lower floor, and everybody
declares Charley must be kept out of the gar
ret
Then you send Charley to school, and hone
you are fairly rid of him, for a few hours Mt
least. But he comes home more noisy and
breezy than ever, having learned of some twenty
other Charieys every separate resource for
keeping up a commotion that the superabund
ant vitality of each can originate He can
dance like Jim Smith; he has learned TO smack
ms lips like Joe Brown; Will Briggs has shown
him how to new like a cat and he enters
the premises with a new whoop, learned
from Tom Evans. He feels large and valorous
ne mas learned that be is a boy, and has a gem
Hral imnraaIiOp that h. =
strong and knowing, and despiseS more than
ever the econventiOnalitieso of parlor life in fact
he Is more than ever an Interruption in the
way Of decent fUiks who want to be quiet.
1t is true, that if entertaining persons will
devote themselves exclusively to him, reading
and telling stories, he may be kept quiet; but
then this is diScouraging work for he swallows
a story as Rover does a piece of meat, and looks
at you for another and another, without the
slightest consideration, SO that this resource ia
OF short duration, and then the old question
comes back: What is to be done with him
But, after all, Charley canaot 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 hard, morose, bitter man has come
from Charley turned of and neglected: many
parental beart-ache has come from a Charley
left TO run the streets, hat mamma and sisters
pay Ou luc piano, anu WTlte letters
peace. Ii Is easy to get rid of him; there are
ttty ways OF doing that. He is spirit that
can be promptly laid, but if not laid Alright will
comes hack, by-and-by, a strong man armed.
when you cannot send him of at pleasure.
Mamma and sisters had better pay little
tax TO Charley now, than terrible one by
End-by- There Is something significant in the
old English phrase, with which our scriptur res
render us familiar, MAN ehild-a NAN child.
There you have the word that should make Won
think more than twice before Won answer the
question, - W hat shall we do with Charley -
For today he is at your feet; to-day You can
make MIN laugh, you can make him cry, you
can persuade, coax, and turn him to your pleas
ure. you can make his eyes fill and his bosom
swell with recitals Of good and noble deeds; in
snort you can mould him if you will take the
trouble
But lSOk ahead some years when that littla
voice shall ring in deep bass tones; when that
small loot shall have man weight and tramp;
when rough beard shall cover that little
round chin, and the wilful strength Of manhood
NIL out that little form. Then you would give
worlds for the key to his heart TO be able TO
turn and guide him to your will; but if you will
Lose that key now he is little, you may search
Tor IL carefully. with tears, some other day,
and nsrsr find it.
Old hOusekeepers have a proverb that one
hour lost IN the morning is never found all day.
1T has signi6cance in this case.
One thing Is TO be noticed about Charley
tn&i rude, and busy, and noisy as he is, and
lrksome as carpet rules and parlor ways are TO
him, ne Is sdll social little creature and
wants 10 De where the rest Of the household
are room ever SO we'll adapted for play
cannot charm him at the hour when the family
Is IN reunion; he hears the voices in the par
Tor, and bis play seems desolate. IL NAV
be warmed by furnace and lighted with gas,
but It Is hHm7n warmth and light he shiyers
for; be yearns for the talk of the family, which
he so imperfeetly comprehends and he Iopos
TO take bis play things down and play by YOU.
and Is necessarily promising that of the fifty
improper things which he is liable to do in the
parlor, ne will not commit one if you will let
him stay there.
This instinct Of the little one is Natures
warning plea-G od 5 admonition O. how MANY
mother who has neglected it because it was
irksOne TO have tho child about, has longed at
twenty-five to keep her son by her side, and be
wOald not! Shut out as little Arab con-
stantiy toid that be is noisy, that he is ayk-
ward and meddlesOme and plague in general,
the boy mas found at last his own company in
the streets In tae highways and hedges, where
be runs till the day cones when the parents
want their son, and the sisters their brother
and then they are scared at the face he brings
back 10 them, as he comes all foul and s1nutty
from the companiOnship to which they have
doomed him. Depend upon it, if it Is too much
SSeS.S W hOSP yOuI DOy IN your society. theI @
viii be places found for hinl-warmed ard
lighted With no friendly fires where he who
finds some mischief still for idle hands to do,
will care for him, If you do not. You ma put
out tree and ID will grow while you sleep, but
son you eannot-you must take trouble for
him, either little now or a great deal by a nd
by.
Let him stay with you at least some portion
OF every day; bear his noise and his ignorant
ways Put aside your book or work to tell
him story, or show him picture; devise still
PariOr plays for him, for he gains nothing by
being allowed TO spoil the comfort of the whole
circle. pencil, sheet of paper, and a few
patterns will Sometimes keep him quiet by you
for an hour, while you are talking, or in cor
ner he may build book house, annoying no.
b)dy. If he does now and then disturb Won
and IL costs you more thought and care to reg
ulate him there, balance which is the greatest
eyil-to be disturbed by him now, or when he
Is q man.
OF all you can give your Charley, if you are
good man or woman. your presence is the best