The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-17
BRING ON TIE ASAFGTI0A
A STORY WITH A MORAL.


experienced mucu ulHCulIy III re-
straining her youngest ron, whose
name was Sam, from failing into all
the current vices and improprietics
which prevail IL every community. be-.
fore tho wild oats of youth have been
sown, II appears that Sam kept com.
pany with all those who were fond Of
novelty, rompiug and staggering about
generally. Ills pious mother first ad.
monisteI him aguiSt the impropricte'
Of his asrociatCs-that they only want
cd him to do us they had done-tha,
like the spider, they only desired to
cntrap him into their ncts---llat the
only course of wisdom was to pursue
the path of tho good boys, WHO, by
obcyiugt the laws of proprivty prescribed
by their mother, had risen 10 the high.
est positions in. civil life, This way
ward son preferred present glory to auy
prospective permanent reward, and con-
tinucd 10 frolil and s'osA about genCr.
ally-would visit sleight OIL hand shows,
end practice ground and lofty tumLling,
md shortly began to swear that such
shows were the only evidence of civil.
iGatiOn, and the emily high road to pros
pcriiy, and none but fools would fail to
patrOnzO them aud initiate their agili.
ty AMI enjoy the felicity Of the occasion.
lis good mother did not believe in
such new tangled experiments, and re-
sorted to all means in her power to re-
strain him, She punished him by re.
fusing lin permission to climb cherry
trees denying the inalenaLic rights of
going ia swimming aud picking black
berries, and all such pleasures. These
restraints did no good, and the mother
then locked him up in the closet, and
when he came on, she read to him from
the Sunday School books about good
children and their rewards, aud about
bad boys and their punishmcnts. All
this fell upon Indifferent ears, and Sam
continued in his evil ways, and finally
TO throw himself into the arms of tho
worst enemies Of society. His mother
was then thrown upon her courage and
spirit. She resolved upon restraint,
nud that her darling son should not do.
part from the ancient track ofplopriety
and deccncy, and that he should not
give countenancc to the desires Of nov
tlty, or the procurement of the cap.
'iaincy Of bad boys. She again locked
him up in the closet, whore he remained
for the time limited. She thea took
him out aud set him on Ounce block
aud made him chew calamus. The
next day Sam was out again in defiance
of all restraints. His mother knew
III t the very smell Of "asqfatias"
made her sou sick, and she rcsortcd TO
that as The sovereign remedy; and for
all high offences, such as the "nctc de-
fart@rc," or opposition TO u Convention
now cnacts, she would put her son upon
the Ounce block and compel him to cat
"dsyatittd." This was regarded as the
most shocking and terrible of all pun.
ishmcnts. Ono day Sam had strayed
away from his mother, and was slosh.
ing about gcncrully-wns talking abou.
Jcllerson AMI Jackson Democracy, and
was kicking up all sorts ofantics, defy.
ing as well the advice of wise and good
people, as to disregard his own knOwl.
edge OF prcpriety. He finally told his
play.matcs that the military glory and
the Democratic doctrine Of his father
was not much anyhow--that it was no.
tho young American doctrine that
controlled him-that if his father had
possessed the inclination to practice the
ground aud lofty tumbling Of other
men, he might have been President Of
the United States long sinco-tlat his
father has always been an old fogy and
by sticking to such obsolete ideas Of
constitutional liberty, framed by such
old dotards as Washington, had died
without reaching tho pinnacle Of fame.
This lecture upon Democracy and tho
hero Of San Jacincto was more than his
companions could stand, aud they de-
termined to communicate this browning
outrage Of Sam to his mother, aud nc.
cordinglya regiment of boysin compa-
ny with Sam, repaired to the house,
aud there told the whole story. Sam
stood forth manfully. Ilo heard the
whole complaint, and was conscious
that every word Of it was true. He
bad pluck, aud knew that many bat.
tic had been won by courage aud au.
daci,y, and resolved to risk all. lie
could not think ofcvading his mothers
displeasurc, and be would not do so.
even to avert tho punishment at her
hands, or save his standing with his
play-matcs. for he thought he could
make it all right with them anyhow.
lilo resolved upon a bold dash Of false
hood, and he turned to his mother to
expiatc his offence against her laws,
and looking her steadfastly III her face
and said without Aincliing-"Myther,
bring on thc asatiaiia; for these boys
have told id lie GU me auyhoym
We fear some Of our "anti-Conyen-
ton" aud new departure" men may
not be equally fortunate IN cxtricaling
themselves from the web of confusion
which they arc wnayinu nrn,nd thoir