Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-09-20
Mr.. FrownelI's Boys.

Perhaps it is not fair to make compar.
sons, but | cannot help noticing the difference
between my friend Frownell's way with his
children and that Of my brother John. My
nephews and nieces are profoundly respect
ul TO their father do not believe that any
person ever overheard one Of them speak Of
' the governor, or the old man" and I
never saw him enter the parlor, or room
where they were seated, without some one Of
them rising aud Offering him a chair, espec.
ially if he happened to be seated in a special.
~ comfortable one. Yet they seem 10 feel
perfectly free with him, will laugh and Joke
with him, and go to him naturally as possible
with everything and on every occasion just
ar they would to their most intimate compan-
ion. They never seem to imagine that he
will not be interested in them, and iu what
interests them And he evidently is. have
sometimes half wondered at, and wholly ad-
mired the calmnoss and the smile with which
be would lay aside bis book or pen to give
some advice on the way a mainsail should be
cut for the boat one Of his boys was building
or as to whether a certain glass "alley' should
be udyantageously traded of for an agate 4"
Or TO take hold and help arrange the sticks
for kite, so that it should be wel-shaped
and strong.
| can see that il has created a bond between
them-this interested intercourse-tbat is
very endearing and powerful. The tallest Of
them, now almost grown to a man, never
goes to bed without goodnight kiss, and
saw them exchange one for goodbye on the
steamboat a short time since. | know, too,
for / have been careful to make myself GER.
tain, that the fathers word is a law for them.
! have suspected that they even take pride
when away from home to have it known that
they cannot be induced to disobey him, or
even do what he would not he likely to ap.
prove.
Ii is different with Frownel's boys lie
is a kind aud even indulgent father He
spends, | am sure more money on them in
dress, and even in presents, and certainly in
pocket-funds than my brother does l dc
not believe that, as a general thing, he is
particularly harsh with them. But be does
not identity himself with them as my broth.
er John does.
do not remember ever to have seen hin
out for walk with his boys or but once oi
twice, and then they we're walking hardly by
his side, aud not chatting with him, as hav'
seen Johns boys chat, as they laughingl,
| kept close to him | rather think that they
would smile if some one were to suggest that
they should take their father with them il
they wanted 10 have a particularly gooc
time.
If Frownell ever shot marbles, he could
not do it now. don't believe that he coulC
tell commce" from an " alley and tt
show one Of the small boys how to hold thl
marble between the thumb and finger, so as L
shoot straight and strongly, would be lik
writing the Had. do not think that h
could put the string over the six ends Of
kites sticks, and prepare it for the paper, t
save his life. have been in his house often
but [ never heard him consulted about bow
or the feathering Of an arrow, or the trading
Of penknife His children do not depen
on his advice for such things, and | suspeC
that it never enters their heads to seek it,
days fun was on hand, even if they kne
that he had leisure, do not think they woul
count him in as one of the company.
Il seems to me that he makes mistak
He comes home, | am aware, tired, and POI
sibly with the worry of the day on him, bJ
he ought not to be, as | have seen him, al
noyed by the play Of the children and whe
the little one ran up to him with a broke
toy, he ought not to have told him to 60
his brother to fix it. When | saw that,
thought could tell why his children had
little to do with him.
That little fellow had not learned it full
yet. One Of the older ones would not has
thought of doing so. They were taught lor
! ago that they need expect no aid there. b.
/ the little boy in his simplicity, thought thi
{ father was Just the one to so to- By-and-b
B and it will not be very long, he, too, will n
' think of running to papa with broken to
. or for a piece Of twine, and, as the years
G on, he will not think of going to him for an
thing. He will Just live with him, respe
e him, love him some but easily will dri
away from him.
i. 1t is all dead loss now, to him and
q them, and what is worse, it may, in the afte
J.. time, be Of incalculable injury to them.
B. is losing his hold on them Just at the poi
If when it ought to be the strongest. He b
not mingled his life with theirs. Their Ii
e has all along been a ehiId's life, aud he oug
y to have made himself child with thei
: walking hand in hand in their child-thought
C and chid-cares, and perplexities. They hs
= them, but will not speak about that now
# 1t is bad in its indications when on
.. children, feel fretted and restrained fro
e talk or play when their father is near the
If am afraid that it is too late now, at lea
IS with the older boys, but wish that Frowu
- would try to call up his boyhood again, u
through the boy-lite lived over again
closer to his children