Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-01-02
TRUE MANLINESS.

Children are very apt to suppose, that what is
manly or won,anly can be cut out of cloth or
leather; in other words, that clothes made in
the fashion Of those worn by men and women,
will give some additional consequence to the
young who wear them. know very little boy,
who took great satisfaction in having loops sew.
ed to his socks, so that he might draw them on
as boots are drawn and the eagernpss 81 COM
monty displayed by children still young, to as
sumo the coat the cravat, boots, etc., is hardly
less childish. Thus they show their chlldishness
in their attempts to be maGly.
This. however, would be a matter of very little
consequence, if they were not ap, to lose sight,
in this way, of the essential attributes of man.
ness. To be manly is to "dare TO do." not 10
,Cedr, "all that may become man" | will give
you my idea of what it is for boy to be manly,
by two or three illustrations.
boy Of six years old was required BY his
father to bring the cows home every night One
dark, rainy evening, in the autumn. Just as the
family had settled themselves to their accustom-
ed occupations, about bright, cheerful fire, the
father asked:
''Did you bring the cows home, nv son 2"
Yes, father" he replied adding, after a mo-
ments hesitation, "but did not put up the bars"
Then go directly back again and put them
up"
1t was manly in this boy to confe.. his omis-
sion, at the expense, which he foresaw, of dis.
NAL trudge through the rain and darkness TO re-
par it.
know another boy, of nine years old, who
mounted one day in his fathers yard a very spir-
tied horse, and was thrown almost Immediately
His father stood by looking through window,
but did not interfere, when he saw his son pre-
pairing to amount second time. He was thrown
a second time.
"Thrown again, my boy ?" he exclaimed.
Yes sir; but I'll conquer him yet"
third time the boy mounted, and then made
good his word, the horse yielding to him com.
pletely.
This was manly boy.
Ot another, twelve years old, it was told me,
that being at large school in one of our cit es.
he was visited III his room by two Young m IN.
halt-a-dozen years older than himself, who used
very profane language. After hearing for some
time what was highly offensive to him. he said,
"Geniemen, you must be so good as to abstain
from this language, or leave the room" They
submitted to the rebuke and remained This
was still higher kind of manliness.
Ii was true Of another boy, not so old as this.
who had long been afflicted with diseased and
helpless leg, that being told, one Sabbath morn
ing. of the surgeons decision to amputate it, he
said, "Then l will have it done immediately, be-
fore mother comes home from church, that she
need not know anything about ii and it was
done Immediately.
If you consider these as fair illustrations of
my subject. you will admit that the manliness
exhibited by these buys could in no case have
been enhanced by any fashion of garments.
beg you to observe, that the terms man and
woman, mlnly and womanly, in their proper and
full import convey far more than those of gen.
tleman and lady, gentlemanly and ladyke. A
true man and true woman will be genlemanly
and ladylke. and great deal more besides
There are men, and there are so-called gentle
men, who have little or nothing that is manly
about them