Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-03-01

There is the secret of my strange tenderness for
the memory of felon-that is why the word
villain does somehow still CRATE on my heart
when hear it associated with the name-the'
disgraced name, grant you--of the forger
Fauntleroy. Pass the bottles, young gentlemen
and pardon man of the old school for having
30 long interrupted your conversation with q
story of the old time.
Our Charley.
The following interesting article we are sure
will be heartily appreciated by the thousands Of
mothers OF little "Oharlies, scattered throghout
the country:
WHAT Is TO BE DONE WITH OUR CHARLEY
Yes-that is the question! The fact is, there
seems to be no place in heaven above, or earth
beneath, exactly safe and suitble except the
bed. While he is asleep our souls have rest
we know where he is, and what he is about;
and sleep is gracious state; but then he wakes
up brigh and early, and begins footing, pound
ing hammering, singing, meddling, and asking
questions {; in short, overturning the peace OF
society generally, for about thirteen hours ont OF
every twenty-four hours.
Every body wants TO know what TO do with him
everybody is quite sure that he cannot stay
where they are. The cook can't have him in
the kitchen, where he infests the pantry to get
-four to make paste for his kites or melts lard in
the new saucepan. If he goes into the wood
shed, be is sure to pull the wood-pie down up
on his head If he is sent into the garrett, you
think for a while that you have settled the prob.
lem till you find whats boundless field for actiy.
ity is at once opened amid all 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. He sees
endless capacities in all, and he is always ham.
mering or knocking somethig apart; or saving
or planning, or drawing boxes and barrels in all
directions to build cities or lay railroad tracks,
till everybody's head aches quite down to the
lower floor, and everybody declares that Char
ley must be kept out of the garret.
Then you send Charley to school, and hope
you are fairly rid of him for few hours at least.
Butt he comes home noisier and more breezy than
ever, having learned of some twenty other Char
lies every separate resource for keeping up a
commotion that the superabnndant vitality OF
each can originate. He can dance like jim
Sinith-he has learned to smack his lips like Joe
Brown, and Will Briggs has shown him how to
NEW like cat, and he enters the premises with
q new warwhoop learned from Tom Evans. He
feels large and valorous, he has learned that he
is boy, and has general impression that he
is growing immensely strong and knowing, and
despises more than ever the conventiOnalities
of parlor lite; in fact, he is more than ever all
interruption in the way of decent folks who
want to be quiet.
It is true, that if entertaining persons will de-
vote themselves exclusively to him, reading and
telling stories, he may be kept quiet, but then
this is discouraging work, for he swallows q
story as Rover does piece of meat, and looks
at you for another and another, without the
slightest consideration, SO that this resource is
of short duration, and then the old question
comes back! What is to be done with him2
But after all Charley cannot be wholly shirk
ed, for he is an institution-a solemn and awful
fact, and, on the answer to the question, "whal
is to be done with him2" depends future.
Many hard, morose, bitter man, has come
from a Charley turned off and neglected, many
parental heartache has come from q Charley
left to run the streets, that mamma and sister
might play on the piano and write letters il
peace. 1t is easy to get rid Of him; there arr
fifty ways of doing that. He is spirit tha
can be promptly laid, but, if not laid Alright
will come back by-and. by, strong man armed
when you cannot send him off at pleasure.
Mamma and sister had better pay little tal
to Charley now, than terrible one by.and.b by
There is something significant in the old Engisl
phrase, with which our Scriptures render US ia
miliar--a man child--a man child. There yoI
have the word that should make You think NOR
than twice before you answer the question
"What shall we do with Charley2"
For to-day be is at your feet; to-day you cal
make him laugh, you can make him cry, yol
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; il
short, you can mould him, if you will TAX
! trouble.
But look ahead some years, when the littl
voice shall ring in deep bass tones; when tina
small foot shall have mans weight and tramp
when rough beard shall cover that little, roun'
chin, and the wilful strength of manhood fill ou
the little round form. Then you would Civ
worlds for the key to his heart to be able Z
turn and guide him to your will but if you vii
lose the key, now be is little, you may searcl
for it carefully, with tears, some other day, ant
never find it.
! Old housekeepers have proverb, that ON
hour lost in the morning is never found all day
1t has significance in the case.
One thing is to be noticed about Charley, tha
rude, aud busy, and noisy as be is, and lrksom
as carpet rules and parlOr ways are to him, he
still social little creature, and wants to b.
where the rest of the household are. A room
ever so well adapted for play cannot charm hin
at the hour when the family, are in reunion; n
hears the voices in the parlor, and the play room
seems desolate. 1t may be warmed BY fur
mace and lighted with gas, but human warmth
and light he shivers for; he yearns Tor me tall
of the family, which he SO imperfectly compre
heuds. and he longs to take his playthings dowl
and play by you, and is necessarily promising
that of the fifty improper things which he is Ii
able to do in the parlor, he will not commit ON
if you let him stay there.
The instinct of the little one is Nature
warning plea-God's admonition. Ol how
many mother who has neglected it, because !
was irksome to have the child about, has longet
at twent.five to keep her son by her side and he
would not Shut out as little ARAB con
stantly told that he is noisy, that he is awkward
and meddlesome, and plague in general tne
boy has found at last his own company In tne
streets, in the highways and hedges, where he
runs till the day comes when the parents want ~
their SON and the sisters their brother, ana tnen
they are scared at the face he brings DacA W
tbem as be comes all foul and smutty from tne
compapionship to which they havs doomed MIN
Depend upon it, if it is too much trouble 10
keen your bow in society, there will be places
fouad @ for him warmed and lighted with 1,, no
fire. fire. There he who "fnds some mischief still
for idle hands to do" will care for him If you
do not. You may put out tree, and it will
crow or while you are asleep, but son you can
not 1ot"vou must take trouble for him, either
little now, or great deal by.and'by
Let him stay with you at least some portlon
of every day; bear his noise and Ignorant ways.