Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-02-19
Oar B.,ys.

Try u l cnulu mot SUR tho people 10 u
recognition OF what is Transporting in
their very midst l have bee" =" i'm.
pressed with the Thought that perhaps
I might do something " rrrcst the evil
which NY eyes behold on every sid
that want to speak to the goud p.o.
pie, through your c,'I"ms.
l am moved especially to the writing
ofthis letter by whit 7 have witnessed
on the part Of tho boys "f our :ilIagc.
Now. Mr.. Editor, l am u" boy h"ter
! Z am always rln'l~t tee boy net like
\ by, know that fur. mi<chief, xnd Il
certain degree Of reckluss""<s are nat
urnI qualities 1T his chara' ter, l )" not
believe, however. t.cre is naturally
an ything IL his nature which c.nn"t
be made Of g'."d acc"u"t If turned in
the right directi"a. T"tal dcprav;ty il
not n favor;t. d"ctrinc "fmine. Mt even
when applied :" buys. | am "o' thu
more sh"ckrd ut the conduct IF the
bays If our village than I an, aston;<he.l
and erieved It the apparent ind'ifer-
ence and neglect Of their parents. 1t
ca"nOt b. that the fathers in our vii,
inge are ignorant Of the conduct "t
their s<'ns, and indeed it th"y were.
,En"ranc. would BE- u" excuse. There
is u" business u'an 50 busy thst h.. can
not, If he will take time. b.c"n.
th"r"u:hly acquainted with his Buys.
And We all know that any business Gu
be ncgl, ctcd much better th,n :nis
Because man attends faithfully aud
ind"strilusly to his business during
the week, b"c""se he g'"'s to churcl,
re- alarly q" the Sabbath, aud pays
literally toward the support If the Z ~.
pei and ito dissemination abroad. it
does not follow that his whole duty is
performed. W. are taught th,t char
ty begins ut home. and tho greatest "t
all i charity. Therefore ! hid that
il is a mans paramount duty to !" <
first alter his NV family. It my boy
CUES t" destruction while 20 tn church
then l surely do not heed the teach
ing which hear, Or what is nh're, th..
right kind y: gospel il not gwen t.. NE.
1t while au' lifting in my cushioned
pew -" the Sabbath '.th,nk'ny If heav
en-" NY by is spe"d','s h's tim. i"
some gambling den. tak "x i" both
""rnlly aud ply sicaIly til" 'o:turs,'g
tunes nf tell. how snail / ,.:>i, eth.
cd or man, thu. ~ :,,h.r i ,a.n IF ii.
christian. | am dung NY duty? ii ii
Is too much trouble t, n,ec, tn. care
and Inconvenience Of directing y,ur
sons c"nduc, "o'0 how j" you cxI.ec.
u endure the anxiety, the care. th.:
mental duty he il sure t." brin. up'n
you by aud by! 1t you do your :u''
duty M you understand It aud II then
your o..y cau""t ~ guided ari .ht It
will b. hard enough to bear. How
much u'"rs when you IRE forced to take
the conviction to your aching hear.
tina, you did nothing to prevent the
evil which has cuu'o upo" YOU?
There 10 work which neither church
nor subbath school can do and that il
the home work which the fathers are
uesIectIng.
/, il On this corner and "a that, 10
this basement, up that fight Vi stairs,
in that back room, on our most public
streets, under our eyes every day and
where the shadow aud substance Of the
breeding thing Ut evil falls .cross our
pathway ~ We co,"e and ~ about our
daily business, aud it is the boys Of our
village who MAINTAIN the deus. 1t il
there they ure eus.csd aud there they
soon learn to entice others There they
drink, aud smoke aud chew they play
billiards, throw dice, play cards, fight
ROSTERS, use pr"t"ns, Indecent Ind ID
scene language, aud you fathers, yuu
::ho are reading these lines, Your boys
are there. II muy b. ut present only
AZ lockers Oh, but the boy who g"es
'uce will surel, - again unless some
timely word or ace Of yo",s prevents
him. Il will d. Your sou no good tn
read shat / have writtcn, but the nd
vice.. Counsel aud care Vi his tati.vr
may save hun.
b. y"u douo, what .m telling you
DO you th."k y,,ur sun would Ut bs
guilty OF these thing ? Do you know
where and how his time IL spent? Ii
you d. then you a'ay safely say wha.
he does. It you have doubts, give til,
.naster little attention.. oy"ur sell
into these vile places and lu"k i"r the
buy you love- Even If he is there YOU
,i'uy not 6Id hun, for the other boys
whom you will meet there will do thsi,
best 70 protect u companion: He may
hide under the table. or slip "ut Of the
back do"r, as your approach is made
known to him ., Do not think l uu
writing this simply to alarm y"u. In.
buys ~ love are being ensn,red aud
enticed aud ruined on every side Shall
We MT lend u hand to save them?
/ have no special the 'logy t" p.ea,I,
| have d" pct n"ti"ns US t" h"w ",i.
boys shall be trained to become use.u
men But when | see, as | i" ever,
day. bright. intelligent boys and young
men, otherwise Iull Ut promise, g''lng Il,
destruction. feel that the faith. r. nav.
= special call to be active and v'yilcut
j" not know more "f the evil which
is breeding i" "ur midst than any othc,
perxon n'ny kn"w, who will give tn.
nj. l..
ever does will I've xricveL and >h"cke.,
aud fi'l~d with an honest wrath and in.
d'Insii"n to know that such th,ny.
should b.: IL "ur midst Will tn.
t th!s the christian u,e" d. sn,, thin:!
t" save" b,y* 'r''m ru," ?:-Gr. n
ty :".'' i'.'' j ,., ,.''.',.'-
=: ...''.
... IL