Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-06-04
OUR CHARLIE

| VIII Oo neaFuiy appFectAte0 Oy the tnOu9ano6
OF mothers Of little "Charlies," scattered
throughout the great cities:
What is to Be dOnS piM our Charlie Yes
that IL the question: The fact is, there
seems to be no place In heaven above, or earth
beneath, exactly safs and suitable, except the
bed While he IL asleep there our souls have
rest-we know where be is, and what he IL
about; and sleep is gracious state; but then
he wakes up bright and early, and begins
footing, pounding, hAmmering, singing, med.
ding, and asking questions IN short, over.
turning the peace Of society generally, for
about thirteen hours out Of evlry twenty -four.
Everybody wants to know what to do with
him-everybody IL quite sure that he cannot
stay where they are. The cook can't have
him in the kitchen, where he iniests the pan.
try TO get -four TO make paste for bis kites, or
melt lard In the new saucepan. II he goes
into the woOdshed he is sure to pull the wood
pile down upon his head. II he Is sent into
the garret, you think for awhile you have Get.
tied the problem, till you find what bound.
less Held for activity is ct once opened, amid
ell the packages, boxes, bags, barrels, and cast
OG rubbish there. Old letters, newspapers,
trunks Of miscellaneous contents, ere al rum.
naged, aud the very reign Of chaos and old
night Is instituted. He sees endless capacities
in oil, and he is always hammering something
or knocking something apart; or saving, or
planning, or drawing boxes and barrels in ell
directions TO build cities or lay railroad tracks,
till everybody's head aches quite down to
the lower fOOr, and everybody declares that
Charley must be kept out Of the garrett
Then you send Charlie to school, and hope
you are fairly rid Of him for Q few hours ct
least But he comes home nOisier and more
1 heoaa ehAV ha~
~ other Charles every separate resource for
keeping up commOtiOn that the supeFabund.
ant vitality Of each can originate. He can
dance like Jim Smith-he has learned to smack
his lips like Joe Brown, and Will Briggs has
shown him how to NEW like cat, aud he en-.
I ters the premises with q new war. whoOp
learned from Tom Evens. He feels large and
valOr0us; he has learned that he 10 boy, and
has general impression that he is growing
Immensely strong and knowing, and despises
more than ever the conventi0nalities of parlor
life in fact he Is more than ever an interrup.
tion in the way Of decent folks who want 70
be quiet ---..-,~.--~--------.- --.-.------
1t Is true, that IL entertaining persons will
devote themselves exclusively 70 him, reading
and telling stories, he may DO kept quiet, but
then this 10 discOuraging work, for he swal-
lows Q story as Rover does Q piece Of meat,
and looks ct you for another and another,
without the slightest consideration 30 that
this recourse is Of short duration, and then
the old question comes back! What is to be
done with himt
But after all Charlie cannot be wholly
shirkcd, for be is an institutions solemn and
awful fact; and, on the answer to the question,
what is 70 be done with 6mf" depends
future.
Many hard, morose, bitter man, has come
from Charley turned of and neglected; many
parental heartache has come from Charley
left to run the streets, that mamma and sisters
might play on the piano and write letters in
peace. 1t is easy to get rid Of him; there are
fifty ways Of doing that lie Is spirit that
can be promptly laid, but, IL not laid Alright,
will come hack, by-and by, . strong man arm.
ed, when you cannot send him off ct pleasure.
Mamma and sisters had better pay little
tax to Charley now, than terrible one by and
by. There is something significant in the old
English phrase, with which our Scriptures rem.
der US familiar-A NAN child-a NAN child
There you have the word that should make
you think more than twice before you answer
the question, "What shall we do with Char.
ley" -
For to-day he is aE 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 at and his
bosom swell with recitals Of good and nOble
deeds; In short you can mould him, IL you
will takc trouble.
But look ahead some years. when the little
voice shall ring in deep bass tones; when
that small foot shall have mans weight and
tramp; when rough beard shall cover that
little, round chin, and the wilfuI strength Of
manhood all out the little round form. Then
you would give worlds for the key to his heart
to be able to turn and guide him to your will !;
but II you will lose the key now he is little,
you may search for it carefully, with tears,
some other day, and never find It.
Old housekeepers have . proverb, that one
hour lost in the morning 10 never found eli
day. 1t has significance IN the case
One thing Is to be noticed about Charley.
that rude. and busy, and noisy IS he is, and
irksome a. carpet rules and psrlor ways are
to him, he is still social little creature, and
wants to De whore the rest Of the household
are. a room ever 90 we'll adapted for play
cannot charm him ct the hour when the family
are In reunion; hO hears the voices in the par.
Ior, and the play-ro0m seems desOlate. II may
be warmed by furnace, and lighted with eas
but It Is human warmth and light he shivers
for; he yearns for the talk Of the family.
which he 90 imperfectly cOmprehends, and he
longs to take his playthings down and play by
you, and Is necessarily promising that Of the
fiity improper things which he is liable to do
in the pariOr, he will not commit one If you
will let him stay there.
The instinct Of the little one is Natures
warning plea-GOd's adm0nition. o. how
many mother who hes neglected It, because
| tt vas irksOmo to have the child about. has
loMged ct twenty-five to keep her con by her
side ard he would not Shut out e. little
Arab; constantly told that he is noisy, that
he Is awkward aud meddlesOme, and plague
in general. the boy has found at last his own
company in the streets, in the highways and
hedges, where he runs till the day comes
when the parents want their con, and the sis
ters their brother, and then they are scared at
the face he brings back to them, as he comes
ell foul aud smutty from the companionship
70 which they have doomed him. Depend
upon Il, ifit Is much trouble to keep your
boy in society, there will be places found for
him warmed and lighted with no friendly tires.
There he who "Hnds some mischief still for
idle hands to do" will care for him, if you do
not. You may put out tree, and e will grow
while you are aslesp, but a'sOn you cannot
you must take trouble for him, either little
now, or great deal by-and.by.
Let him stay with you at least some portion
Of every day; bsaF bis nolss and ignorant
ways Put aside your book or work to tell
him q story. or show him picture, devise
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