Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-09-04

tto wy LIS iAtHcI Hau s9Oua GOWN
to the back woods to chop, and now
and then came up ringing
echo of his axe that sounded like
music in the cold purple ears Of his
son. He could not go to his father
for the depth of the snow that Law
between them his mother had .driv-
en- him out of her way-she was a
notable housekeeper; he heard
the cheerful voices and merry Laugh.
ter of his sisters who had called him
cruel names and sent him from. them
because he was boy and he stood
with the snowfakes melting into bis
tears, wondering how God would
punish women and girls who were SO
wicked to little boys.
"Girls," he says, "who treat then
brothers as ! was habitually treated
crush out the tenderest, the n0biest
and most kindly feelings Of ~ur ma
ture feelings that geldom spring up
again in after life, but are too often
superseded by q harsh and sullen
temper, and a selfshness caua, TO
that which blighted their first pure
and generous emotions. ..
Little sisters therefore have much
to do in forming the character. and
tempering the dispositions If their
brothers. When boy has no play
mates of his own sex, girls should
conform their amusements IL 4 meas
ure to his boyish tastes be patient
with his awkwardness, and encour-
age all gentle and ainiable feelings
that he may be made an oblging,
affectionate boy, and an unselfsh
noble and pure minded man, who
will respect and honor woman for
his sisters sake. "
"Take care Of the minutes, and the
hours will take care of themselves" is
another good and true saying appli-
cable to this subject; take care OF
the boys, and the men will take
care of themselves.
Most boys, especially those belong
ing to farmers, are rough. awkward,
ungainly material 80 work with but
look it the block of marble before it
is Snapped and polished to the perfect
statlte'y or at the one as it came
rough and shapeless from the earth
and grows through refining arts and
proper mouldjngs to the precious
coin that controls the commerce OF
the world or the implements OF war
that, with voices Of thunder and
blades of kecncst edge, decide the
destinies of nations.
Yes these young boys are rough,
ungainly LOOKING 1ittl5 animals to
take in hand for the purpose of max
ing gentleman of them. They are.
in this early stage, chiefly rcmarka-
BILE for dirty faces, chapped hands,
enormous appetites, and q wonderful
propensity Of knees to 60 through
thin clothes for, however thought
loss and improvident the boys may
be, these members are pretty sure to
be docking out" for themselves
What a trouble to mothers, and What
sources of eXation and modification
to ambitious sistersf Yet, In these
very boys, looking through ill-timed
inquisitiveness, and manifesting it.
self in most extraordinary expert
ments, is the germ Of the future per
feet nan, the fire, the dawning CON
sciousness Of power that needs but
proper guidance to enable it to con
troll the social and political world.
Little barefo0ted ragged kneed, freck-
led faced, brIght-eyed boys hardly
more need be done with them at this
stage than to feed them well and let
them grow only watching for, and
tcndcrly encouraging the growth OF
all that is good in their natures, and
sowing with iudicious care such seed
Of good as nature may have been at
fault in supplying.
A little further on in life, when
the boy~man has ontgrown the child
he wants something more than all
and gunshine and food; yet wants
these not the less, especially the food
the air and sunshine he will have by
virtue Of his sex and his occupation
the food must come by favor of otn
ers, and should be in quantity and ii
nourishing qualities all chat the Wig
orous growth of bone, muscle anC
sinew requires. But now little evi
dences pride in personal appearance
are manitest-toes, knees and elbow,
less so. The hair, once seldom at
tended to voluntarily, is now an OBJ
ject of care the looking glass is silly
consulted, and face and hands are
scrubbed to smarting in the secrer
hope ofgetting at the bottom ct'frock
les and tan. 1t is at this age thar
boys most want SYMPATHY and hei1
from mothers and sisters, and, unfor
! tun4tely, it is at this very time they
are least likely to get either IT, il
just here that they arc beginning tt
be valuable as workers, and every
moment out of the fields and barn
yards is looked upon IS 30 much los
time while the little attentions t
personal appearance, if not broadly
ridiculed, are made light of or dis.
couragcd ill the objects settle Gowr
in the sullen conviction that it is M
matter how they look or what the,
try to make Of themselves. Mother
and sisters arc too much occupied il
household affairs, and the latter es
peoiaily, in little toilet artilines 70
their own adornment, TO think O
care much about the tastes or ;wishe
of those overgrown, 4ncOuth Eookin,
l hR .