Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-09-17
The Boy John.

The Boy J0hn.
John il an awkward, restless, hdge-
" fellow, whose ehiei end Is TO tor
ture the cat and tear clothes. Ills
parents congratulate themselves that
their boy is growing up under
the hsllowed influences OF q Christian
home. What is ii that marks Johns
home NJ hallowed and Christian
When the toll and drive OF the day
are ended and the evening hours begin
10 throw their hush over the house
hold, what is there in living room or
parlor, got ready by u parents Chris
tan ,houghtfulness, for making the
closing hours OF the day the happy
the joyous, the loved ones of all the
twenty fouri John has been in for
dinner, eaten it, and gone out again.
He hos been in for his supper, eaten
that, and now, after doing the last
things Of work.time, Qor John hap.
pens very often to be a boy who
knows what work is) he comes in
weary in body, yet uneasy IN mind,
restless, yearning for something
some recreation, some joy, some sport,
some play, laugh, frolic, unbending OF
some kind, 10 relieve the hideous to-
dunn or all tread, tread, tread in the
mill of toll. The mother having put
her house in order tor the night, takes
some odd piece OF work--sewing.
knitting, or croche,ing-and worries
out the fag-ends of weary.Aesh and
lamp.light. The father takes his eve
ming paper, or bis evening browse, or
both of them, rolling in an easy chair,
or tipped up in one that IS not easy
himself silent, dull, dismal.
But the boy John-what of him !
What shall he doi He does not
know how to knit or chrochet; he
does not care for the newspaper: He
looks mp and around. Not an eye or
countenance shows one ray Of sympa.
thy with his uueasiness, pitching and
rolling now to the brim. He looks
up on the mantel; nothing there. He
looks up to the clock; nothing there.
He looks round on the walls, up at
Re ceiling; nothing for him there.
He looks out Of the window; well,
he begins to see the gllmmer Of some
thing for him out there though moth
ing under that roof, within those walls.
around tho fireplace, which the world
calls his:home. So John yields up a
sigh, a stretch, and yawn, and out
be goes for sympathy into the dark
ness. The mother works on. The
father reads and doses on. The boy
il now beginning to go on in the way
he likes to 60. Other boys, fleeing
out from other such Christian homes,
or from homes that are not Christian
meet him on the street. They mingle
their discontents and sympathies til
with the leap and dash Of young lite
they come together into a plot OF mis-
chief, Or into the chamber where bill
lizards are played, Or into the cellar
where entertainment is for man and
beast: or anywhere up or down where
life and unbending for the restless
6bres Of youth can be found, ane
where the evening hours are not spen
in the dullness of knitting and doing
John is young. His tastes are un
formed. His feelings are very fs
from being refined. in fact, he is
little gross in his sympalhies. HI
wants amusement. Every bone il
his body aches for recreation, for play
fun, laughter. He does not care--h'
has never been fought to care-wha
fun is, il only it will give relief to the
fidget that stiugs him. Not at all re
fined, he will 60 for what he wants
where others 60. And going wher,
others 90 he finds the hunger Of hi'
nature coarsely met.
By.and-by, just before the CLOCK
strikes ten, the father wakes from BIZ
doxe, the spsctacles falling and the
nonar aiding uDon the door. aud look.