Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-18
d0lurtester Daily spp.
From Dickens "AlI the Year Rodnd.n
R0UGHING IT.

and to which, again and again he endeavored
TO convert Mrs. Marbell. But the good woman
was not to be convinced. Her nature warred
against Mr.. MarbelPs logic her tenderness re-
piled to his first proposition; her motherly in
stlncts rebutted his second proposition; her
unfeigned indignation put down his third pro-
position Mr.. Marbel was a cold man; Mr..
Marbell was cold father; Mr. Marbell was a
brute-more, Mr.. Marbell preached what he
never practised what he would never have the
courage to try i'll his own person. Mr.. Mar
bell was as fond as anybody of his warm slip
pers by the fireside, his port teathered with
beeswing, his hot shaving water, and mis- cider
down quilt.
Then why should dear little Augustus
rough it Mrs. Marbel wanted to know this,
as, indeed, according to her husband, Mrs.
Marbell wanted to know many things 1t was
the belief OF Mr.. Marbell that to argue with a
woman was to exhibit weakness almost unpar
donabe; this, when Mr. Marbell found him
self in that position which is properly describ-
ed as being in corner.
Mr.. Marbell, however, being the better half,
could extricate himself from his corner by the
use of his natural authority. If he could not
subdue and conquer Mrs. Marbells reason, he
could command her obedience. Augustus
should rough it.
The coarsest porridge was provided for
Master Augustus the hardest bed nursery
without fire. Augustus must keep himself
warm by exercise; exercise would make him
hardy. The mother would carefully cover
him with warm clothing, wind wooden COM
forter about his throat enfold his notified legs
with CATERS, protect his little dimpled hands
with 81 ives; bnt the father would Indignantly
remove these etfeminate guardians against the
cold, and send the boy forth to the east wind,
almost naked. Crying was put down by soil
tary confinement; a whimper produced a pre-
mature dispatch to bed. No sweetmeats no
fruit; no happy admissions to dessert; no visits
to the pantomime; no nursing upon the pa
rental knee. Winter and summer, in sickness
or in health, cold water baths without mercy
Augustus is to be brought up to fight the world
manfully. His flesh is to be hard as any mar
liners he is to breast the storm with naked
bosom; to be content with the coarsest fare,
and to flourish upon it. Here are few of the
regulations which are to govern the ply steal
growth of Augustus, the Camberwell Spartan.
But his mind is to be under iron rule also
His nature is to be as hard as his flesh. With
fearful eyes the mother looks up into Gussy's
face and pouts her warm mouth to meet his.
She would throw her arms about his neck,
nestle his little head upon her shoulder, exam
inc tondly, finger by finger, his infant hands
hands that, according to Mr.. MaIbell, are 10
forge thunderbolts, and, easily as pattern
duke handles the ribbons, to guide their desti-
MES. And the logic that to Mrs. Marbell lay
in all this wealth OF love, she would have ex-
tended to her child, to soften the adamantine
laws of her fierce lord-had she lived. The
darkest day in Gussy's life was that on which
his mothers feeble hands held his young head
for the last time and drew his fresh mouth to
her own poor, bloodless lips. The boy was
left alone in the world to bear all the rigor Of
a father with a theory.
Most veracious is the history of young Gus"
sy. We saw the miserable little Spartan day
by day, roughing it. On bleak November
mornings, when the leaden clouds swept past
close to the earth, and an icy rain drove al
most horizontally down our roads on days of
broiling heat, when the milk which the milk
man dropped upon the pavement Kissed, and
went angrily away in vapor; on frosty days,
when the tread Of tripping girls upon the ice
bound earth rang musically; on sloppy days
of dreary thaw, when the snow had fallen to
the thickness of ice-cream and served up pieds
glaces to all who ventured upon it. Marbell
had become terocious in his theory There
was no Mrs Marbell now to poster him with
tender counsel, nor to put comforter about
Gussy's throat. Gussy was now bound over
to him hand and toot-most fortunately for the
boy there were no foxes in the neighbor
hood of Camberwell, or one had been stuffed
under the shirt of Gussey, that his parent
might see whether the boy could let the ami.
NAL take just one bite at his stomach without
wincing.
alt is hard world" said Mr. Marbell,
over his port, speaking with friend, and
men should harden their children to meet it,
as we harden steel, that, with spring, 1t may
bear weight. Now, have resolved to make
my boy razor-steel at the very least. He shall
be able to live where others would die-to
flourish where others would fail His consti-
tuition shall be equal to the mountain-top or
the valley-to an Arctic expedition, or secre-
taryship under DR.. Livingston"
1.-THE brute P' said (sotto voice) Rachel, the
maid, who had just appeared bearing to Mr..
Marbell and his guest plate OF olives.
"The boy is not clever boy; he is even
dull. The better reason, | say, for hardening
him. For with moderate abilities only to re-
commend him to the world, how can he make
his standing good if he be not prepared to sup
port incessant bufeting His wants must be
SO humble that he may be able to saye-ay,
part of a crust. A mountain plant, sir, he
must flourish upon the dry rock l, sir land
Marbel glanced through his glass at the dane
ing beeswing), am the architect of my own
fortune. l once swept the office of which l
am now the principal. ! met men on their own
ground. l set my shoulder firmly to my work,
and found that had need of all my strength
to conquer. My boy shall have tougher
skin firmer muscle than | had He shall
learn to rough it"
Mr.. Tarbell emptied his glass, and with two
delicate fingers dropped his first cool olive into
his mouth. The oracle had spoken.
An east wind was curling the autumn leaves,
and compelling hackmen to draw their horse
cloths tightly about their legs, on the evening
when the oracle held forth from his cosy tenn
pie, with beechwood fire happily mingling
with sea-coal upon its altar.
Master GuSsY was upstairs. he was In