Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-01-22
OF the Independent Gazette.
Letter from Bert. Darlington.

Mr.. Editor -
In my last | announced that the Union
Lyceum was organized and would meet
every Wednesday evening for discussion.
1t isn't so. After spending a week i'm
and rehearsing their extern
poraneous destinations, the boys pre-
scented themselves at the school house to /
recite them, and were gravely informed,
by the prudential school committee, that !
this school district fortids the use Of the /
school house for everything except |
schools and Catholic meetings. or course
the young folks were mad as March hares
about it-as they ought to be-and their
indignation found vent I'm curses, both
loud and deep, against the moss backed
antiquity of their seniors. Now, am
not selfish about this thing. For my own
part, would much rather spend my even
ings at home, with my arm chair, my T
D, my daily paper and my feet comfort
ably slowed away on the mantlepiece.
Still, know the public benefit of well
ordered lyceum too well to oppose it, or
withhold my influence and efforts in ad.
vancing its usefulness. We are often
told that the bane of our prosperity and
happiness as q State, is the loss of our
young men, who leave us the moment the
law releases them from our grasp, if not
before, and spend their lives among
strangers, rather than remain / their ma
tive State, where, in nine cases out of
ten, the chances are as good as they find
them beyond the Alleghanies. The very
men who voted to close this school
first to deplore the loss of their children.
The first to mourn over the depletion of
our social energies, by this tribute of
young blood constantly flowing from the
veins of New Hampshire, to enrich the
life current of the West. Yes, they will
tell you how sorry they are that our boys
cannot be induced to remain athome, and
let well enough alone. Now, why do these
boys and girls want to get away? Why
do they run north, south, east, west, any
where to get away the moment the law
lets go of their collar? Why do they
longingly watch the dial of time, and,
with packed trunk, engaged ticket and
railroad guide, wait impatiently for the
striking of that dearest of all hours,
main reasons is, that we are too exacting,
niggardly and overbearing with OR boys.
We are too apt to expect too much of
them. We forget that "boys will be
boys" and we expect them to be grave
and reverend old fogies, like ourselves,
before they are out of leading strings.
We would beat or fret the flesh off their
bones, in order to make them little walk.
ing skeletons of propriety, while we
ought to be playing them game of scotch
hop or leap frog, cumming and crony-
ing" with them, and gaining their love,
sympathy, confidence and friendship, by
coming down to them, instead of trying
to drag them up out of their native sun
light into the cold atmosphere of matur-
ity. We should be indulgent, generous,
reasonable and kind to our children, if
we wish them to cling to the old home.
We should not only command them but
chum with them, be just as young as
they are, and remember that if we happen
to spare the rod once in while when il
ought to be applied, the world will make
it up to thom after they are twenty-one
as they will then have q wide world OF
beatings before them. Now, gentlemen,
can you afford to shut your children out
from this Lyceum, which you must know
is source of pleasure and profit to them!
Can you afford to thus turn them against
home rule and get them down on youi
Can you afford to take up arms against
them and drive them away? II you can
all right, if not, the sooner you change
your hand the better. There is no othel
suitable place in town for q lyceum, anC
if the boys want the school house for tina
purpose they ought to have it. Why
not?
Freem. Pierce is very absent-mindet
young man. He was drawing wood OF
the east slope of Dalton mountain tn
other day, when one of his horses caugh
his foot fast between two sticks of Woo
that were frozen down under the snow
Instead of cutting off the stick Of WOOD
and saving the horses leg, Freem. becam,
mixed in his mathematics and cut off tn
horses leg to save the stick of wood, ant
then knocked the horse in the head.
Mrs. Darlington opened journal wit
the new year, and declares that she vii
note me down every day for better o
worse; so am walking the chalk-line o
propriety, and she is writing up som
very interesting and suggestive rcadin;
for her second husband.
When frantic husbands complain to TIL
judge, that neighbor is figuring as til
unknown quantity in their domestic prob
lem Of life, he invariably advises them t.
:. reciprocate in kind. Says it never fail
, to settle the matter satisfactorily a
around.
Hon. ,Auren NJ. Chase is recovering
from a slight shock of paralysis, wit
which he was FRUSTRATED some time age
, and hopes to come out all right.
Old war horse politicians about town, are fai
! ly glowing with delight. They go about quotin
Blaine Cox, Hill and Garfield, and inward
thanking the Lord that they at last have q prinS