The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1872-03-29
The BOY John.

.. y. Nendall says some very true
and suggestive things about "The Boy
john in the April number of Serb.
ner's We quote as follows:
John is young. His tastes are un-
formed. His feelings are very far from
being refined. In fact he is little
gross in his sympathies. He wants
amusement. Every bone in his body
aches for recreation, for play, fun,
laughter. He does not care-he has
never been taught to care-what the
fun is, if only it will give relief to the
fdget that stings him. Not a. all re.
fined, he will 60 for what he wants
where others 60, And 6 ing where other.
60, he finds the hunger of his nature
coarsely met-just us tainted meat viii
till the hunger Of starving man-in
the low revelry, vile stories, unclean
mirth of drinking-cellars and saloons.
The boy does not discriminate very
closely, and to the longing of his crude
appetite the entertainment Of these
places is infinitely better than any he
ever could find in that place which he
has been taught to speak of as home.
For eating and sleeping and getting his
clothes mended, he feels that 10 place
can be equal to a Christian home; but
for good time, for passing a dull
evening hour, for learning something
new, for words of cheer, for professions
of sympathy, for those genial ways
which a boy does love, and which any
boy but Uriah Heep must love, John
will tell even the minister to his face
that home is nothing to street corner,
or billiard-room with the attachment
of beer-shop.
Well, by and by, just before the
clock strikes ten, the father wakes from
his doze, the spectacles falling and the
paper sliding upon the floor, and, look
ing round with a bewildered gaze, asks,
"Where is John?'
Where is he? Why, for want Of bet.
ter instruction, he is out practicing our
modern plan Of training himself up in
the way he likes to go, having nc
thought that when he is old he will care
to depart from it. But the father who
has inquired for his boy rubs his eyes,
looks out into the darkness, and listens;
but he hears him not. He wishes thai
his boy would not go out SO of nights
but then he does 60 out. He wonders
that John cannot sit down at home like
other boys. What other boys? Ane
then, with a very feeling remark
that, eff John does not do better ant
become steady, he will make miser
able shirk Of himself,' the father goe
to bed. The mother waits till her bo,
comes. By and by he does come in,-
his restlessness blown off, the uncas,
fdget of the early evening spent in re
laxations which, of some kind, bo,
must have,-and then at last the hous,
is quiet. Sleep and rest prepare tn
household for another day and eyenin,
like these.
And when that other evening comes
out goes the boy again; and the fathe
again wonders, and wishes that Johl
would be steady and stay at home, an
very feelingly predicts that, eff he doe
not change his course, he will very likel
come to miserable end"
But, good father, why should you
boy spend his evenings at home? Wha
is there at home for him? What pleasan
recreation, what happy plan for whilin
away the hour, does he find inviting hi,
there? What have you done to max
home attractive and winsome to hi,