Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-07-05
What to do with Our Charley,

| AAA'hA ~ 49, ~ WClllN 0cSliS cili-
ploy the man who does no, employ him.
self, says Spanish proverb: and boys
are no exception. They have supera-
bundance of animal life, into one of two
channels,-,he channel of mischief or the
channel of use. And it depends altogeth-
er which channel 1t takes as TO which one
OF two types of character will be found in
manhood-llat of shifllessness or ,ha,
of thrift
One hundred miles from Boston, more
or less, Is the village in which reside the
families of Doctor Pllberry and Farmer
bloomfield. Doctor Piilberry had seven
boys, who became very decided charac
lers, and were very much " developed :"
and progressed" The Doctor was
called early in the morning 10 see his pa
ilents, and returned late al night; and the
boys out of school-time had abundant lei
sure and opportunity to seek seven other
spirits like themselves, and hang about
stores and taverns, lounge in the streets,
learn 10 fight and swear, and get down the
gun and trample the clover fields to blow
b!ueblrds and robins in pieces. Tee
Bloomfield boys were kept at work on the
farm when school was not In. except when
a holiday came round such as the old cleo
ton and general training days. AT first
they thought 1t rather hard, and they quo
ted TO their father the case of Tom Pill
berry, who had a good time and had such
a fine chance 10 be somebody, while they
were kept at work. Tom had time al
lowed hlm to hunt and fish, skin live eels,
stone windows, rob orchards. steal melons,
torment the cat, shoot at marks, smoke cl-
gars, and ali such pleasant pursuits and re-
creations while the Bloomfield boys had
10 drive cows, dig over potato patches, and
do the like tedious and vulgar things. 1t
was rather hard, aud they wished their
father doctor, minister. or a LAWYER
However Farmer Bloomfield knew what
he was doing; and the boys finally learned
TO love their duties, and took pride IN rais-
Ing the largest potatoes and pumpkins in
the town though It mortified them when
the PIlberry boys fiourished over them at
election balls and Fourth of Julys, where
the Pillberrys always appeared exhaling
essences and strutting in buckram.
Thirty years make IA wonderful shifting
of scenery on the theatre of life and
presto the PIllberrys and Bloomields
are coming up now III the fifth act Ex-
uent Pillberry boys and enter the Pill
berry men. They have exhaled all their
cologne and pomatum, ana the buckram
has got all It's stfiehing taken out, and
they look draggied and f9rlorn. They
| have gone INTO business and failed married
wives and had families they cannot sup
port, have not forgotten the store and the
tavern,--ln short have 60 progressed" into
f ranaral ihrff.taSSnarS
They run III debt. and never pay, and
never mean to; borrow and never return
have added chewing and drinking to
their first narcotic accomp mplishments are
generally loose in their habits, though
d" sometimes very tight"
The Bloomfield boys have gone in;o
business and succeeded one OF Them
holds a high office in the state, and looks
toward the highest and the chief enter
prizes Of the town depend mainly upon
them. And whenever anything is started
requiring perseverance, hardihood, ener-
gy, public spirit, conscience, generosity,
and capital, people always call frs: upon
the Bloomtields.
This we pledge our readers is no fan
cy sketch, but chapter of history.
Now for the improvement of our
story, showing the advantage of giving
boys occupation.
First, II Is the best physical education
they can have, giving them good dlges-
ton, hard muscles and robust frames and
you will not be obliged 10 put them on
spare diet for dyspepsia, or send them
abroad to be turned blue in water-cures
or put them on beef-tea aud toast-water al
home.
Secondly, it is the best way to keep the
twenty devils out, by first bringing the op-
poSite virtues in then the virtues have
the ground by the right of pre-emption,
and the vices will be kept out for ever by
a moral statute of limitations.
Thirdly, they very soon learn and iii the
only way they ever will, that lie is a
serious matter, and is not a frivol!tv and a
farce-a thing which a great many peo-
pie do not learn I'll they learn il 10 their
sorrow.
Fourthly, you give practical point to
your moral instructions, instead CO spend
ing your breath for nothing IN giving ad-
wee Moral instruction is we'll, but stand
ing alone it is worthless and to apply ii
to BOYS boiling over with animal life. and
with nothing to do, is like reading the ten
commandme 10 tornado.
Filthy you settle practically the ques-
ton abou, eorporea Punishment for, gen
orally speaking, only Idle boys will need
it.
Lastly, and summing up, and putting i
as maxim of education, is fast as tn
tacultaes aerelop. gre them something Il
do.-Rel,g,o,ls Masa-s''e.