Smyrna times., 1876-04-19
The Boy Of the Period.

II there is time for everything. we sur
pose there is time in every boys lif
"llen such outbreaks as the street scr;u
mage between the Freshman and Sopbomor,
classes OF the College of the CITY of New
lofk OF last week may be expected. Tb,
warm Olooded young animal, whether ,
colt IN the field or lad at college. mus
nave leave to kick or rush" to rid bimsnl
OF MS Vlclousness, and the less notice tolor
OF IL the better. Good sense and GOOD
oreeolng come to even horses of a fai,
Stfaln OF blood, with years, and we NAV
sa1ely trust to time to educate the bows
but IN the mean time, don't let them
imagine themselves heroes because of tbo
temporary notoriety of their outbreak,
mere is no necessity for them to hurry to
'ne Ifoht with explanatory letters, or boasts
OF their powers in knocking off high hats
backed by the opinions of admiring police.
men or the class whom they style gutter
roughS.' Their fight was reported lust as
any other street scrimmage is reported
policeman and public looked upon tbom
precisely as they would at the young bears
snarllng and swapping in their pits in the
fark. The whole affair was in no sense
herolc or manly, and while the bows at
nome may be of gentle birth and BREEDING.
on this occasion at least they took the role
OF the gutter-roughs, and played the part
as TO the manner born. Boys will be bows.
no doubt But when their youth leads
them into vulgarity and rowdvism. tbov
should not be led to fancy that thew have
won admiration from even the street rowdv
whom Tor the moment theyemulate.
lhls matter is, of course, of trifinr i'm.
portance. 1t illustrates, however. onr ra.
marks the other day upon the prevailing
passion Tor notoriety and the lowering in
nuenee OF it, especially upon young people.
Everybody has an ideal boy in his mind a
rudy, outspoken, manly fellow, full of
heroic iancies and absurd ignorances and
concelt, tumbling into ridiculous mistakes
with every step, but rising steadily un 70
honorable manhood. Every father. whose
Ooy Is yet mass of flannel in the cradle
knows the lad and sees him his companion
IN the future. The world has always
owned him, and been proud of him. The
old Greek delights to find in the "wbito.
Im6ed, clear-eyed youth" =" the warrior who
shall avenge his wrongs. Allthe way down
through our own literature, from Chaucer
TO Ihackeray, while the Englishman NAV
DC brutal or miserly, shopkeeper or n
savage, the English boy is ingenious. cal.
liant, kindly. The world has paid this half.
quizzical homage to the boy because the
BOY has deserved it. Nature fights hard 70
give each new man a new start in life. If
the lad be come of decently honest, we'll
hammered folk, the natural impulse of his
youth and ignorant innocence is to lift him,
TO higher grade than theirs. He will fall
INTO terrible blunders from his conceit
plume himselfupon his scraps of knowledge.
or, as IN the present instance. mistake
rowdyism for gallantry; but conceit and
mistakes will correct themselves, the more
quickly, too, for wholesome NEGLECT
Let him alone. In year or two he will
be man enough to blush for that which ba
boasts of now.
The American boy is too much coddled
md held up to public notice, especially in
low school of literature. Novels. shoals
'f magazines, and newspapers are devoted
% exploiting his prowess. Certain specta.
'u!ar dramas hold up nightly his adventures
Is pirate, soldier, ETC., to crowds of other
boys, who set out fired with the noble ambi.
ION for fame, and end in the station.house.
We shall be told, no doubt, that these re.
marks refer to lower class of young lads
nd of training than those represented bv
he combatants the other day. The effect
# notoriety is precisely the same. 1t in. ,
uces the boy to fancy that his place is in E
he front of the stage and that the foolish
eat OF his youth is an admirable note. !
'orthy matter. Practically his mistake
matters little to society; his conceit will be
lre to receive the prick some day which |
NIL remand him to his proper place and to /
lore rational views. But the lesson costs Y
ne poor fellow hard price to pay.-N Y.
riJune.