Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-07
THE DISAPPOINTED BOY.

YOU on your son. lie - most pleasant feitOW5
cheerful without siIIiness-inte.lgent, but not a
"Humph ~ replied my friend.
great part OF conversation in this country ts
carried on BY gruuts: but II there is anything
which cannot be expressed IN this manner, il IL
= cordial assent. ] Ielapsed into silence, and
filed my glass. SePtimus passed his hand over
his hair, which il rather hong, ard still thick,
though streaked with many threads of grey, and
gaZed thOughtfully through the window, which
opened on the lawn. a faint light fingered in
the west Z, and one star shown brilliantly above
the black cedar, near which Was dimly seen the
graceful figure of my friends wife. At her side
vas the yOung man on whom, moved by genuine
Bking and the emotions natural 70 a benevolent
person who has cined we'll, had Just pro-
nouuced seemingly inOppOrtune panegyTic.
We sat At round table, over which q shaded
light was hanging, and the claret passed slowly
between u. II was too old to be hurried. After
silence Of few minutes, my friend leaned
back in his chair, aud said
elf IL would not bore Do ! should like 70
ten YOU few anecdotes Of ~ dear boys life"
"PraY do" I said. l WAS in the mood for
Hstening-disposed for silence and moderately
curious. SeItmus has manner gentle as the
evening. and voice which might have grown
mellow IN his own cellar.
ait has long seemed 70 me, - he began, 'that
the rules Of conduct which v try TO I'm press on
our children are absuTdlY inconsistent with those
by which we eTp eCt them to regulate their later
life. When they are young they are to be unOb-
uusiye, ard to give up to everybody; when they
have reached mans estate they are TO give way
TO nobody but TO push their fortunes In the
world. As well nj ght ne punish the child tor
going near the water, aud expect the man to
swim OF train the runner for the race by making
him walk backwards. When Tommy was born,
made Up my mind to avoid the common error.
In the battle Of life he should be taught to win,
and not 70 90 round, when the fighting was over,
with = RED cross on his arm. When he was
baby be showed great love OF color, and would
lie Tor hours smiling at q sunlight and making
little motions With bis haI =. II seemed clear
TO me IN those dsvs that g child would bs
great painter you know that was always fond
Of art, and take high position. But OF course
- "a Ia -
which my son wOuld excel. Ny duty was 70 pre-
pare him 70 excel IN any which he might choose,
by developing IN him the taste Tor competition.
i looked about for competitor, and, lad the
good luck to md my little nephew Theodore,
who Il ten minutes Older than Tommy. 1 Dor
rOwed HIM from his parents, an1 at once brought
the two lads into competition. ] well remember
NV trst attempt, aud its failure. 1 had been
lett III charge Of the children for a short time,
ard selziDg the opportunity, induced them to
race across The room Tor lump Of sugar"
Here interrupted my friend by asking IL the
boys we're not young for education.
Not AZ all said he, ''fOT let ne tell You that
In these days, when the idea individual liberty
Is in The air We breathe, children rebel against
the influence OF their parents almost before they
cYOu surprise me-" I said, AMI well nigh
make me seeep, the poets picture. You remem-
her the lines
Stood up the straw, anu u hrs Mother Goose,
Cried. Madame, will not be sat upon -
Septimus smiled in a deprecatiGgs mann r /,
somewhat uncertain, think, whether were in
Jest or earnest. lie continued his story. Tommy
was good walker, II you make allowance for
LIZ nOFelty Ol lne accomplishments OUT lost
some time IN lateral motion Ike those OF lands
man on rolling sea; therefore Theodore, who
had perpetual Inclination forward, and went
with an Involuntary gOOse-step, took the lead at
once, and would have won had not his head,
advancing too quickly for his legs come sud
denly in contact with the floor. Now was my
boys chance but instead OF going by his cousin,
who was PROSTATE and bowling, ne sat down on
the carpet and beloved twice as loud for sym
patty. Jessie said that ought to he ashamed
tween the competitors.
''when the boys were little older, again
borrowed Theodore, and made little class OF
him and Tommy, hoping for healthy rivalry in
the acquisition OF knowledge. / began with an
opening address, in which pointed out 70 them
that the duty OF each was 70 beat the other; and
that, az every man in the grOwn-up world was
trying TO get a. much OF the luxuries aud hon
UIs a. he could, 20 each boy should try to gain
for himself as large hare possible of the mar
hes, tOnes, aud other prizes, which l should
from time 70 time O1ter. They heard NE with
great gravity, and our opening day was a decid-
ed success. L soon found, however, that my
Prize system was q failure, since, as the stu
dents Away Played together, they cared not a
IOt NEO Won the toys, which they enjoyed in
common; and a. % the tOffee. they both Ihered
50 much after the LTst prize day, that Jessie put
her veto Oh that form Of reward.
AFTER this I determined TO substitute pen
Mes and for a time thought thai L had effected
ny purpose. Tommy grew wonderfully indus
tTiOUs, and IN spite OF my strict impartiaIty ac-
cumu!ated vast store of cOTpers. Week after
week be drew on ne with papers OF marks,
which were duly hOEOreI, until / saw myself in
DAYS TO be- the aged faith OF the first Of GENTLE
Enanciers. be should direct the application of
hls nelghbors, fortunes, speculate ia q gigantic
war, become Baron Tommy at a foreign court,
perhaps Sir Thomas ~ his own. NV dream was
Tudely dlspelle1. one dAy nv small nephew
came % me IN great glee. Uncle Septimus.
SAID he do you know that il Is nv birthday
Yes replied, and TOmmy's birthday too, al
though you certainly gained an advantage over
nm. lOT which activity his UAFt ever
compensate And please, Uncle Septmus
continued Theodore, do look az the present
highly decorated whip and scarlet reins. 1t was
hut too clear that the fortune which nv son had
accumulated by his industry, bad been expend-
ed IN present Tor the defeated candidate, and
when questioned en- the subject, the yoang
ITOdiRsl a. once allowed that this had been tbs
sole motive OF his extraordinary devotion to
study. While was trying % impress upon him
that II the triumph Of the successful resulted IN
the gain OF the unsuccessful competitor, emula'
ton was impossible, his mother came in with
rush and Rugged him. Jessie Is apt 70 act from
Impulse, As almost all women are. When
pointed cut 70 her, on one occasion, that unless
everybody II always trying to get as much o.
everything Tor himself As he can, the most val
liable laws OF political economy are false. she
rsld that she dbl not care If they we're, snd that
70 help ones self"
Here 1 could not help intarruDtiug nv friend
SSPIlLlus " IN me remark that there Vas no bet
teI Ny OL helping ones self than appearing az
ne per OF Others, II You knew the right mo-
ment A. which TO serve them; and that some hat
grown wOndert ally rich In tins manner
SeItmus seemed TO think nv remark irrele.
want, Tor be took no notice Of it, bat continued
lis story.
You may suppose, ," hs SAID that i, choos
ing school Tor my boy Sd Ouii be greatly in.
h1enced by size for, n competition be good
the wider the teld OF competition the better
cent him OF 20 EtOn with a CODY OF Mr. Smile,,
stimulating work on Self Help and a manua
of political economy, TO which his mother add ID
a large hamper and Bible. Hts school career
was fairly successful, and would have beer
brilliant but for that moral Obiiquity, which
AlAs! there - no longer room 20 doubt. TheT
Vas 10 limit TO his generosity, which was COZ
stAntly developed By an ever-growing popul sri
". Ihere never was 50 popular boy. Tn
masters could hardly ind fault with him, an
MS sehcoIeIoTs made q hero Of him, as wa