Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-01-03

consciousness of having 6 ne beyond the
usual proprieties. The severer discipline
~of other members of the family had sug-
gested putting him to bed on an empty
stomach. but as his dinner had been kept
in the ing-oven-somewhat over done
and chippy, but still tempting to boy -appe-
tite-I brought it forth and sat down be
side him while he ate it. His unrepentant
air. the stolld Indifference with which be
began to bolt his viands, was too much
even for the meekest spirit. calculated
willie, don't know what shall dc
with you. You have given me the great
est anxiety. You are very naughty boy
am sure don't know what to do with
such boy"
| With his usu Il readiness of suggestion,
although his crammed mouth prevented
| the clearness of articulation which was
characters ic, he said, cheerfully and rath-
er persuasively:
sri tell you what you ought to do, nam.
ma-you ought to whip me-"
While looked rather astonished at his
manner of prescribing in his own case, he
went on:
"Most of the boys know get whipped,
and it's very good for them"
"But, Willie,'' I faltered. IF had a
tender mother, who didn't want to whip
me, should be all the more anxious to be
good.''
"Of course you would" with an express
sion Of sovereign contempt for the femi-
nine attitude toward morality; ''you never
was boy, and that makes all the differ
ence.''
am reluctant to admit that he was
born with an innate conviction of tie SUI
periority Of boys over girls, and Of men
over women, which no teaching could quite
| remove, although enforced with the most
weighty example. One day sat at my
desk busily writing; long silence was
broken by my boy laying down the gaunt-
let in this wise:
"Mamma, men are great deal smarter
than women"
"What do you mean by that, Willie ?''
"Why, they know more. They can do
all sorts Of things that women can't do.
They are smarter.'
This was sort of statement which I
felt must be at once met orgunaentuns ad
honainem. Drawing myself up with quiet
dignity. said:
willie, you don't know what you are
talking about. l consider it very doubt
full if you know as much, or can do as
many things, as man, as youns mother
does as woman"
''Oh, that's so! never expect to he
equal to you. Catch me reading as many
books as you do! didn't mean to say l
could beat you at knowing things What
mean to say''-here his oracular index
finger was slowly shaken at me-''was, not
that all men are smarter than all women,
but that some men are smarter than ana
women" And while paused, gathering
mp my forces for reply, he clinched the
argument
Snow, just produce the woman who
could write Shakespeare, will you?"
Then perfectly conscious that | was
staggering under the weight of that chal
lenge. he leisurely sauntered out Of the
room, making an abortive attempt at
whistling tune.
1 never know him to show anything but
an adherence of pen and ink, except on
one occasion when hefound was trying to
write in spite of Q headache. Having dis
covered this, he cried, in moment OF en-
thus astic sympathy
Never mind, mamma; you just 60 and
lie down and Ill write that article for
you"
l had forgotten the promise when he re-
appeared, after the lapse of an hour or so,
inky from head to foot. bearing foolscap
sheet on which was inscribed in hero
glyphics somewhat resembling the Runic
characters used by our Teutonic ancestors,
the following effusion:
THE SENTIMENTAL.
The Sentenneal is the birthday Of Our
Country. Our Country was born in 1892
1t was discovered by c. Columbus. l pity
Columbus because he was Forenor. But
then he could not be born hear cause he
had to discover it first. Our Country is
the largest, biggest, strongest Country in
the hole world. Hurrah for the U. s. Of
America.
Yours truly. WILLIE.
P. SIT can lick any other Country.
AS he handed thisto me, quite flushed
and tired out with his ardious labors, he
said. with soothing sympathy for me,
mingled with profound contempt for all
literary work.
II don't wonder it makes your head
ache Poor little mamma ! just wait till
I'm mani Then I'm going to hire
servant on purpose to write books for u.s."
do not think that he was quarrelsome
or much given to pugilistic encounters,
but my experience has Taught me that as
war is condition incident to our present
degree Of civilization, so the average boy
will sometimes find it necessary to main.
tain his position by primitive force, or he
will be 2 good deal trampled upon. An
ardent advocate of peace and non-resist
ance myself, hope endeavored to i'm
press these Christian doctrines on my boy,
He seemed daciie enough to this teaching,
till the spring in which We moved into one
of the streets of our city, where it was
customary for each newcomer in the shape
Of boy to be received with 4 series of
prosecutions, somewhat resembling those
hazing exercises popular in our higher
grades of colleges. 1t seemed to me that
my boy endured sundry of these persecu-
tlons with praiseworthy PATIENCE. We
had lived in the neighhorhood almost
month, when one afternoon l heard an ln-
deseribable noise outside, mingling of
fiendish bowls, roars. growls, with occa-