Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-02-19

Did you ever see boy standing il
the corn field leaning on his hoe?n asket
an octogenarian. THAT boy has back
ache that would defy the united efforts O
the followers of Esculapius to cure. II
tell you how to cure the troubles of tina
particular boy. Tell him to to work wei
until Saturday afternoon, and then turn
out for II game of base ball, and he'll
straighten up at once, his back will be al
right and he'll go to work with smile OF
his face. Mind you, when he is running
his bases, if he gets hard fall he II iumI
up like kitten and be all right. Hell
utter no complaint because the effort is
voluntary. If you should try and force
him to such an effort against his will how
quick he would revolt You cannot work
a boy as you would beast of burden
You must SO encourage Il boy that the
efforts he puts forth will be almost entire
ly voluntary, and this can be done by
mingling amusement with labor in proper
proportion. Dick Crane says that the
genuine Yankee boy is full of fun and
frolic, and like a barrel of new cider, must
have vent or burst If you don't make
fun for him at home he'll go abroad, sure,
and once abroad, some fellow will say,
Come, john, take drink" and nine
times out of ten John drinks and rolls
down to tho bottom of the hill of respecta-
bility and is lost"
/" Dick is rather extravaganza said l.,
" but still there is considerable truth in his
assertions"
There certainly is" continued the old
gentleman, "for if IL boy has got any snap
to him, if he sees that you keep an eye on
his amusements, and are making an effort
to so mingle amusement with labor that it
will be in harmony with his boyish nature,
that you are his friend instead of his task
master that you are striving to develop
his body and soul into manhood; if he
sees all this and appreciates your efforts,
he will be faithful and dutiful in fact, he
will be more than half II man at once.
This is the only secret in the manage
ment of boys. 1t is no wonder to me, sir,
that boys run away from home, and 90
west, 90 east, 20 south or 90 in any direc-
ton to get out of the reach of the paternal
9rapncV that binds them down to hard
labor continuously, with no amusements
to speak of; nothing but work, work,
physical labor and nothing else, nothing
for the mind, little or nothing for the |
affections to cling to-simply II machine
10 advance the interests of his taskmaster.
In this condition, what better is Il boy
Than slave? Treat II boy in this way,
and if he has any spirit worthy of the
name, he will rebel, while on the other
hand, if you treat him us gentleman
should be treated, you have no trouble in
leeping your sons at home. and of making
armers Of most of them.
" If II boy has scientific turn of mind
md longs for literature or professional life
longs for opportunities for study and sci.
entlc investigation, it would be unwisc,
indeed to bind him down to the farm,
wen Ii you could, because he would not
ucceed. You cannot enslave youthful
mind any cas- er than You can in Indian S
10Th have the elements of freedom largely
developed and in the widest forms. If
'ou have secured the confidence and aifec-
ION OF your son, you can control him TO
great extent, and superintend his studies
u home, A course of studieS-an Gle
nentary course may rs well be pursued
t home rs abroad, and far better, more
specially if the boy is young; If er he is
lder and his habits are thoroughly form.
d, there will not be so much danger in his
oing abroad,as exceptional influences will
OF so easily penetrate his home armor,
nd dash him to ruin as they would if he
'as not protected and guarded by this
NIGEL of love"
1t may be objected" said |, " that I
rs rule, have not sufficient edu- {
alton TO superintend their sons in their I
udies." 4
" This may be partially true said the
ID gentleman, but the father can study I
18th his son and both be benefited thereby |
here are number instances on record, c
here the son commenced course of c
udy and experiment. under the eye of his c
Their, who finally took such an interest in !
he sons advancement that he became II
in that particular science or art.
otably among men of this class is the r
nous optician, Calvin Clark. If under g
and Mr. Clark's history he was led into =
re study of the telescope by the expert Il
ents of his son, and now Gfaliv,) stands n
the head of his profession" =
" Judging from the number of letters n
at you receive asking advice upon the +
beet of the management of boys. con "
ude there is II general awakening among :
rmers upon this subject, and it's h:rh a
ne that the farmers of New England and +,
ew York should turn their special atten- t,
IN to this very important problem. " :,
Working Farmer, IN Anlerican Cutira.