The independent. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Kan.) 1860-1874, 1863-05-02
HOW BAD MEN ARE MADE.

inquired Tonmy's father. sis il true
that you torture those young birds
to hear them cry, and see the old
ones fly about in distress ?"
Tommy did not say a word in re-
ply, for he knew it was all true. A
beautiful nest OF young robins was
on a cherry tree in the garden, and
just before they were old enough TO
NY, he took them out and made them
cry, TO cause their parents to come
hut,ering abcu, him in great fear.
"Come, my son." continued MIR.
James, "let US settle this matter. Ii
is bad omen for boy like you TO
delight in such cruelties. What kind
Of a man do you expect to make p
Tommy had not thought much a
bout being a man. Perhaps he in
tended to be Tommy always. So all
he could reply to his father was.
81 don't know" and he looked
very much ashamed as he said it.
"WelI, | can ten you wha, kind
Of a man you will be, unless you re-
frain from such cruel deeds. The
other day | read Of boy who lived
in the early days of our country,
and he loved 10 torture flies, kill
birds, and injure his playmates. He
often robbed birds nests OF their
young, and would hold them up and
squeeze them to make them cry, as
YOU have done. Sometimes he wo'd
tie strings 10 the feet OF those that
could fly,lhat he might see them en-
tangled in the trees and bushes. He
would kill toads and frogs just for
the sport Of it, as he said. One time
he scattered a parcel of broken glass
in the road, where bare-footed chill
dren PLAYED, that their feet might be
cut and made 10 bleed. Now, what
kind of a man do you think he nader
a BAD man." answered Tom.-
"Bui hope you don't think | wo'd
do such things, father"
"Have you not been guilty of
some of these wicked deeds! All,
my son, | fear that you think too
we'll of yourself. The boy of vi HON
speak did become man,-the well
known traitor TO his country, BEN
KDIcr ARNOLD. Such boys as he
was. usually became bad men,"
81 know that" added Tommy /;
but don't think | am such boy"
"Nerther did Benedict think he
was SO bad. But just such cruelty
as you have practiced, tends TO make
you worse and worse. Boys do not
become SO bad all at once. They
are growing bad very slowly, often,
when they scarcely know il. And
the only way 10 prevent this sad end
is to stop doing these evil things il
boyhood. If boys do them now
they will De likely to do them wher
they are men. II they will not d,
them when young. we are quite sur,
they will not do them when the,
are old."-The Happy Home.
J 1t is not only by cruelty toward
= birds, beasts and creeping things
tina, boys grow up to be hard heart
ed and bloody minded but by sim
liar conduct towards their play-fel
lows, or human beings they resar
as their interiors, or whom circunl
stsnces may place in their power
Let us illustrate by another
STORY FROM LIFE.
A good many years ago there wa
a boy living in one of the Unite
States, who was very imperious an
domineering in his disposition, an
tried to make every one he associa
ted with do as he said. He did nc
request to have things done as h
wanted, hut ORDERED others TO d
them. He never stopped TO AJAX q
it righ,' but simply said Il want
done;' and then, right or wrong,
must be done, or he was angry.
He was moi liked by good boy
bu, became quite popular with Sc
whose moral principles were niue
like his own.
He lived in what were called III
Slave States, and his family held
good MANY slaves in bondage, an
many tale could the poor negros
tell of this wicked boys heartles
cruelty. On one occasion his ser'
ant did not black his boots to pleas
him, and with a curse he hit him
hard blow with cane or stick .whic
Frustrated him at the feet of h
heartless young master. with the re
blood flowing from his mouth an
nose in consequence OF the blow
"Take that,you-nig niger" VI;
the profane ejaculation OF the wicl
ed youth and when he saw the e
fec, of his crime, not liking il,
gave the poor slave a brutal kick, /;
he unfeeIingly ordered:
"Get away from here, YOU blac