Smyrna times., 1873-02-26
Wild Oats.

ollowing interesting article on the above sub o.
ect: n
The other day one of those sad little individ- a
ual histories, which have rarer tavor OF ro' &
nance than any fiction, reached its close IN a Il
city. A pretty, clever young girl, /
the daughter of man Of great wealth and 5
culture, fell into a morbid melancholy state '
common to school girls, which they usually re- G
gard as evidence of an exalted mind, and {
attribute to a lack of comprehension on the /
part of an unfeeling world and the want of f
something to love. To her entered, at one OF I
her weekly receptions, young Spanard, Leon
-, with an Introductory letter from friend
in Paris This hidalgO, as warranty OF his
gentle blood, seems to have only offered a
swarthy skin, flashing eyes, and well-ftting
clothes However, these were enough. Her
melancholy vanished. They talked together
language, which, if not Castan, was at least
not English; dwelt by enchantment in his
castles in Spain awhile, and then prepared to
dwell there in reality. They were married, the
girls father giving his blessing and a forty
| thousand check to bear them across the brluy |
deep as earnest of his future intentions.
| Before they had reached this city, however, |
| he received information that Leon was not the |
heir of a Spanish grandee, but of French
barber plying his trade not ten squares from
his own house. Leon, lazy, ood-lOoking and
shrewd, had found the role of lover easier
work than lathering the chins OF his father s
customers. The outraged father pursued the
bridegroom and bride to this city, discovered
that his son in-law had forged his name on
check for double the sum already received, ar
rested him, pushed the matter to trial, and
after the wretched barber was sentenced to
prison for dozen years, procured divorce
for his daughter. All Of which the pseudo
) Don deserved yet, after all, wherein did un-
! lucky Leon in the dock differ from lucky Leon
| ] rbo Ii fInO
eyes and we'll made clothes were all there. If
his wife's morbid fancy had prepared her to
receive husband in such man of straw, was
she not to blame for her bad bargain But
y what of these morbid fancies shared by SO
: many girls; though they may not happen to
n end in divorce or felon husband?
It When young fellow under twenty-five has
# a sudden access of fever to his brain and be-
gins to fling his money about like an Irish king,
!. or deserts shop or Office where he has respect
s able start in life, to 60 vagabondizng to Santa
l. Fe or the Pole, or grows unreasonaby lachry
is NOSE about the girls, we are prone to dea
e gently with the lad, to talk Of young blood, O
e. sowing wild oats of the spirited colt tina
e makes the best horse. Indeed, this kind o
ID fermentation in hearty, full blooded boys, is 81
IN accepted fact that wise fathers make provl
to sion for it as for measles or whoOping cough
I'd Tom, growing restless or disposed to frequer.
ee low theatres or drinking shops, is given
w little rope. 1t is easy to understand th
ny cause of his outbreak.
ar The world and its possibilities appear to tn
ce young eyes SO v lst, his share of them, in deS
&c or salesmans counter so little Plenty {
E means offer themselves to tire boy restle:
A body and satisfy his hungry brain-gymnas
wo ums, societies, debating clubs-he swims, hsl
nd es, hunts, plays cricket or base bal-rubs ever
lily day against many men of many mlnds-dabblt
be in politics, science, or art-dasheS away 10 tn
ley city or that as far as his money will carry hin
us and by all these ways gains glimpses of 9TH
ain regions of thought and circumstance than h
A own narrow surroundings. Presently, satsfe
be he adjusts himself for life steadily and Who'll
be somely, with wider outlook and frmer footln
By But is there no young blood " in a woman
len What provision do We make for her safe al
ry, contented foothOId? In the large cities Z
nd: high roads of literature, art, or benevoen
eSs are accessible and open to women; their ply
Dng cal development also is understood and car
and for. But in the country and inland towns,
ose the great mass of American families, t
ner daughter leaves school, and the glimpses
nal the out door world which her books there ha
YOU given her. for a narrow round OF sewing G
mestic work, tea drinking, or balls las the C.
may be), with the hopes of cOurtshlp a
esi- marriage beyond The literature of "her Sc
)bo consists of magazine or two, the local ne
des- in the papers, and shoals of semi religiC
rant weak novels Just IN proportion as she
in naturally strong she feels that she is in
t is bounds and chafes against them.
in Usually she settles down to her narrow i
and the unsatisfied cravings of youth making
and ever after harder and more ungracious; tol
nag opportunity present she grasps at the first ;
the Der swindle that approaches, and clothes
the with romance as with garment. There
ex- other endings to the story than these wheI
tire girl sets out to SOW her own wild oats-an u
,ets sight to see. The beginning Of the jour
rider may be found in the ioud-talking, bold e
The school girls that crowd some of our avenue CT
we'd, or the unprotected fast young bellies sipp
con. champagne at midnight in restaurants. w
the parents understand that young blood and yo
the brains in girls and boys possess the So
lity. vinous quality and provide safe escape
most such fermentation in physicai and me-
ding training, our women will be better Gtte.
blue answer the problems which now perplex Il
BON, middle age.
l.