Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-11-13
The Boy John.

John is an awkward, restless, fdgely fel.
low, whose chief end is to torture the cat and
tear clothes. His parents congratulate them
selves that their boy is growing up under the
halowed influences Of Christian home.
What is it that marks Johns home as halow-
ed and Christian2 When the toll and drive
Of the day are ended and the evening hours
begin TO throw their hush over the household,
what is there in living room or parlor, got
ready by parents Christian thoughtiulness,
for making the closing hours Of the day the
happy, the Joyous, the loved one Of all the
twenty-four? John has been in for dinner,
eaten it, and gone out again. He has been in
for his supper, eaten that, and now, after DO
jig the last things OF work-'ime, for John
happens very often to be a boy who knows
what work ISL he comes in weary in body
yet uneasy in mind, restless, yearning fol
something--some recreation, some JOY, som,
sport some play, laugh, frolic, unbending o
some kind, to relieve the hideous tedium o
all tread tread, tread in the mill Of toll Tn,
mother, having put her house in order for thi
night, takes some odd piece Of work-sewing
knitting or crochetng-and worries out thu
fag-ends of weary flesh and lamp-ight TIT
father takes his evening paper, or his evening
browse, or both of them, rolling in an cast
chair, or tipped up in one that is not easy
himself silent, dull dismal.
But the boy John-what Of him. What
shall be do? He does not know how to kni
or crochet; he does not care for the newspa
per: lie looks up and around Not an eye
or couutenance shows one ray Of sympathy
with his uneasyness, pitching and rolling now
to the brim. He looks up on the mantel
nothing there. He looks up to the clock
nothing there. He looks round on the walls,
up at the ceiling nothing for him there. lie
looks cut Of the window well, he begins to
see the glimmer of something for him out
there though nothing under that roof, with
in those walls, around the fireplace, which
the world calls his home. So John yields up
q sigh, a stretch, and yawn, and out he goes
for sympathy into the darkness. The moth
er works on. The father reads and doses on
The boy is now beginning to go en- in the way
he likes to 60 Other boys, fleeing out from
other such Christian homes, or from homes
DAT are not Christian, meet him on the street,
They iningle their discon,outs and sympathies
till with the leap and dash Of young life, they
come together into plot Of mischief or into
the chamber where billiards are played, or ill.,
TO the cellar where entertainment is for man
nnd--bcast or anywhere up or down where
life and unbending for the restlessncss fbres
of youth can be found, and where the even
ing hours are not spent in the dulness Of knit.
ting and doing,
John is young His lasts are uniformed
His feelings are very far from being refined
In fact, he is little gross in his sympathies
He wants amusement. Every bone in hi
body aches for recreation, for play, fun, laugh
ter. lie does not care--he has never been
taught to care-what fun is, if only it will
give relief to the fdget that stings him. No
at all refined, he will 90 for what he want
where others 60. And going where others &
he fluids the hunger Of his nature coarsely
met.
By-and-by, just before the clock strikes ten
the father wakes from his doze, the spectacle
falling and the paper sliding upon the floor
and looking round with bewildered gaze
asks, " Where is John ?"
Where is he? Why, for want of better in
struction, he is out practising our moder
plan Of training hmselfup in the way he like
to 90, having no thought that when he is oil
he will care to depart from it, But the fathe
who has inquired for his boy rubs his eye
looks out into the darkness, and listens; br
he hears him not. He wishes that his DO
would not 60 out SO Of nights; but then b
does 60 out. He wonders that John cannc
sit down at home like other boys. What 9th
er boys2 And then, with very feeling re
mark that, If John does not do better an
become STEADY he will make miserable shir
Of himself" the father goes to bed. TIL
mother waits till her boy comes. By-and-b
he does come in--hs restlessness blown of
the uneasy fdget of the early evening spent i
relaxations which, of some kind, boy mus
haye-and then at last the house is que
Sleep and rest prepared the household for an
other day and evening like these.
Good father, why should your boy spen
his evenings at home What is there at honl
for him? What pleasant recreation, what har
Ply plan for Willing away the hour, does h
find inviting there, or that would invite an
boy there What have you done TO max
home attractive and wnsome 10 him a
Johns home3 He would like amusement
suited to his young restless, trimming nature
how much real thought and care did you eve
CIV IA bOutthNrt utNlNtdf llul0 thoIit Win
view to meeting this passionate yearning o
his mind2 How much do you play witt
him, tell stories with him, make riddles witt
him, talk with him Of what you have don
and seen, Of what your father did aud saw
Among the book-shelyes of the old house no,
many shelves have you filled for your boy
What games, what sports, what efforts a
skill with slate and pencil, with knife, saw
and gimlet, have you devised for him, Will
your look and action were saying, +" My boy
| want you TO love your home more than an
other spot OF earth2"
After period Of years | come back wher
the home of this family is Of which John i
SO important a,member, and look in upo
them once more. As only the last week
looked in TO some Of those families that
knew long time ago, and learned with heart
ache of their Johns, SO came back to thi
family aud inquired about its John. Th
father and mother with lurid smile, yC
with u warm grasp Of the hand, welcome mi
We sit down, and soon the talk wanders bac
into the past God has been kind to then
though the burden Of years begins to be heay
upon them. Their work will soon be don,
They are finishing up the days labor and gel
ting ready for the long evening and the fni
sleep. ! look about me and remember.
turn to the mother, and with a CHEEKY voic
break in, And what has become of-of j obi
that used to see ?"
The mother drops her hands. Her wor
falls to the floor. She turns away her eye
She cannot answer. la the mean time tn
father has slowly risen from his scat, and, I
If to do some forgotten thing, has gone GU
In minute follow him. find him wit
dowucast look, hands clasped behind hin