Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-03-11

The Boy Question.


IL We pamper him, he is good for nothing;
vet We do not like to see him abused. He is
hurt oltener than girl, and if he cries We
call him baby, a name that is utterly detcst-
ible in his cars. At home he is in the way
His boots make endless confusion, and need
great deal of cleaning, which to him seems
unnecessary, before he can be allowed to
come in at ALL The dear little girl, can come
to the FIRE and have their rubbers taken of
for them. and their cold hands chaicd by soft,
warm ones, but however much he may ache
with the cold he must travel to and from the
mat and scraper till he is found presentable .
by feminine jury. Clearly he is not judged .
by his peers as is the girl.
The ancient Spartans knew what they were
about when they took the boy away from
women and gave him in charge of the state. |
This gave him room to turn himself The .
state had no parlors, no carpets no polished
furniture, no fragile ornaments in dangerous
places, no foot-stools for him to fall over, no
trails wherewith to entangle boots. 1t never
gave him the second piece of pie, nor an ex-
ira slice of frosted cake, nor candies by the
handful, nor sweetmeats with bread and but /
ter but it was not in the habit Of placing
them before his hungry eyes, and so he was
just as well off, True he had no mother to tuck
him iato bed and pray over him, or to come
later at night and leave kiss and tear ON
his innocent forehead, or to press her quyer-
ing lips on the swollen right hand so cruelty
feruled at school but mothers were not in
the habit of doing such things in the day OF
the Lacedemonian republic. The boy was to
be strong and brave, and strike hard blows
for his country, TO suffer for his friends and
make his enemies suffer for him, and to en-
dure most unmerciful and needless suffering
in proof of his hardhood that was all
But somehow things have changed, and
there is a dearth of Spartan boys, as well as
Of Spartan matrons 1t is AN axiom that
boys must look out for themselves The girl
is welcomed in the house, the boy tolerated
All sorts of pretty, graceful things are invent
ed for her he has no right TO hope for any
thing Of the kind in his case. A rain storm
is a calamity when it keeps the boy in doors.
The girl sits down to fairy book, or work, or
dolls things, and fuses quietly all the after
noon.
But the boy has always lost something
II he succeed in finding the Ratchet, the saw
is sure to be missing, and the girl hints pro-
vokingly that it is usually thrown down near
where he was last at work Then he has
never nails enough, and rummages all kinds
Of improbable and impossible places for more,
such as his mothers work basket, his fathers
secretary drawers, his sisters baby house
and even attempts to penetrate into Biddy's
hooks, whereupon everybody becomes exas-
perated, and wishes him at school, ten miles
or so away. Once fairly at work. the end of
his long stick pokes through the window, or
knocks lamp off shelf; and he sharpens
his knife till he cuts two or more fingers aud
drops blood ON the carpet which leaves an
lndellible stain, and has finally to submit to
bandaging, which makes his hand so clumsy
that he contrives to pound two more fingers
and thumb with the hammer But he is
soon out of material, and stops awhile to ran
sack barn and attic for dusty forbidding look
ing boards, full of old nail holes, and what is
worse crooked nails which tear jacket and
trowsers, and especially sleeves; and makes
as much litter with his windmills and fddles
and patent water wheels and boats, as the
carpenter who puts an addition on your kitch-
en-.
And he invariably gets into trouble before
the day closes. SO long as he can white
and whistle, undisturbed, he is happy, but
then he has never any right where he is.
Except in some rare instances, | think BOYS
are not aware that they are always in the
way And these want to live, and in their
uncouth way enjoy life, | suspect as well as
anybody But Bridget has given up kitchen
or dining room, as the case may be, as long
as she can consistently so she gives him
genuine Irish warning, and brushes all his lit
Yer IN heap If he disregards it, as the busy
boy is apt to. Then he RACES and raves
ana II he has straightforward mother who
Is noted for good government, and who brushes
out rebellion at once, his ears are boxed aud
he rs hurried of to bed supperless, and oh
how hungry only boys can know. He had
not thought much of il before, but he is real
on the verge of starvation, and for the
hrst time realizes the SORROWS of the famish.
ing poor And how dear to his heart are the
little gimcracks he was so careless with before
Biddy massed them on her dust nan Will
they indeed be burned? Will his mother LET
her do il?
She has the advantage surely, and he re-
treats threatening vengeance. The straight
forward mother orders them into the fire to
punish his passion, and with a very firm
mouth commands him for the last time for.
blds hun to play outside the door yard next
saturday, and goes calmly back to her books
OF work, thanking the Lord that she is not
hke some mothers she knows of, aud congrat-
uiating herself that she has done the proper
thing at the proper time. She thinks of him
once or twice during the evening, and tells
Blddy to see that he is well covered after he
drops asleep. Here is some system. some
roofing out of evil in its small bepinnings
But how is it with the boyl As he shuts
ihe door he is conscious that somebody is
laughing at him. Was ever any boy so mis-.
was his sister ever sent to bed in disgrace
All his fun spoiled Innocent fun, too He
reVer slald out nights and broke windows
IKE I'D Brown! He will, though, see If he
don't I'd doesn't have any trouble at home
ihat splendid story he was saving for even.
ing unread, story about gorillas, too. and
ihe book to be returned tomorrow Tears
ne knows are sign of weakness, but eusb
'nsy wiii' and 1t is one comfort that nobody
VIII know 1t; and oh how desperately hum.
KY, and how wicked in consequence he feels
ne wlli not say his prayers, and then how
justly. "s "'" 80 un'
vi: II the mother be of the gentle long.
SUFFERING stamp that is of no account with