The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-12-02
Wild Oats.


! Statistical science, that remorss,as.
prophet, reports that out of SO manv ho'
pies dreaming on their motlers' hyeas,s
there shall be numbered SO MANY ineh.;I
ates, so many suicides, 80 MANY mnrSer.
era, so many victims of battle. Violence
and sudden death. Inspecting colIeces
the etern- -browed registrar records thot
TINS proportion Of young men will honor
themselves in their daily WALL and CON.
versation, and that will wander bv de.
vious paths to doubtful ends. BehoId.
ing sweet girl graduates" with unmel-
ing gaze, the seer foretells that these
shall dwell in reputable peace. and fhoSe
make shipwreck oftheir lives.
,,Forewarned is fore.armed." says the
ole proyerb But while We heed Tie dan
ger signal for our boys, we are mt 70 for-
get that our girls arc threatened. When
ayoung fellow who has been amiable and
correct begins to waste his time and mon.
ey on questionable pleasures, to show an
abnormal cagerness for excitement and
change, to find home dull and his old
am!'sements tedious, to start off yapabon-
0izlng, strange countries for to see - wa
deal gently with him, if we pre wise
de is sowing his wild oats" we say. IF
the crop is narrowed with reproachcs and
watered with complaining tears, it ia
!ikeiy TO prove a large and evil one.
Wo help him with Kindness and counsel
we give him all the freedom possible. we
are wisely blind to much that hurts and
humliiateS us, we make home the most
delightful of resorts. And we do this
because we recognize the fact that NOR
al crisis, spiritual fovcr, is upon him.
The eager young blood can not LONGER
tcmperately keep time, rs ours, and make
as healthful music.
Ihere are laws o ( physiology as domi-
nant as any law Of morals. The adjust.
ment of the human soul to its conditions
is nicer and moro difficult than those fins
mechanical adjustments which are the
wonders of the age. The possibilities of
iiie are. SO vast, he himself is 80 little.
the leaping fluid in his veins is so vital
and insistent, that it is little wonder he
goes wrong.
fortunately there are helps on all sides
Tor MN: Gymnasiums, base ball, cricket,
swimming, bunting, shooting, rowing,
walking, fishing, riding-all these Offer
themselves to tire his restless body. So
cieties,. politics, science, art, travel, at
tract his eager mind. Presently the fer
mentatlon of youth subsidies, and the clear
wine Of manhood, rich and sweet and
potent, remain.
At earlier age than boys feel it comes
q kindred restlessness to girls. Some
times It takes The shape of mild melan.
choiy metrically expressed in compost.
mons, or. when it is Of serious nature
"strikes iD," like bad form of measles.
1t is seen as brazen nppres.
siveness, such as young girls show in
horse. cars or other public places. Some.
times it is an utter dissatisfaction with
all that their life knows, an unspeakablc
hunger for something other which 70
their inexperience, is of necessity bet
ter.
IN school, occupation is likely to be
incessant. if not absorbing But the
average girl who leaves school behind
her, leaves also all definite plan of en-
ployment, all fixed interest, all healthful
habits of Industry. To ambitious girls
full Of imagination, energy, and unrecog-
nized aspirations, life of dawdlinp Ia
IS not enough. Visiting, dressing, fancy
work, parties, no more satisfy ardent Jane
than the dull routine of shop, or count
ing-room, or Office, satisfies eaper John.
John betekes himself, if he can, on an
embassage to tho Pigmies, or to fetch
him u hair on tine great CHAINS beard.
But alas for Jane! she NAV not travel
She may not hunt, or swing from paral-
lei bars, or 60 into politics. Usually
there is but one entrance into Wonderland
for her, and that is by tho gate of mar.
riage. She endues the first man she
meets with the grace of Apollo, the wit
OF Mercury, the courage of Mars. If
father and mother forbid the banns. she
will elope with him ifshe can, or. fancv-
ing herself broken hearted, marry without
love, any man to whom her parents will
give her. Or, If the man of her choice is
and ahe weds hin, sy;th
white favors and wedding bells, all the
same may tho awakening come when she
sees the ass's ears and can no longer
stick musk.roses in the smooth, sleek
head.
Often and often these early aud ill-as.
sorted marriages are simply girls wild
oats, and what harvest viii come of the
sowing, who shall say? 1t may be SUBJ
mission, patience, sweetness, disgrace.
But our point is that we do not help
Jane rs we help her brother to feel
her way through the tumultuous
troubles of youth. If she is un-
easy, vacillating, with a liking for
strange company, full of adventure,
reaching ou. for action, addicted to man.
nish employments, impatient of crochet
and decorative art, we draw her lines
o.oser, instead of enlarging them. Where
We ehould give the eager mind absorbing
food for thought, the conscious body
scope for action, we stint the
one and hinder the other.
Mothers can not too carefully study
and cherish their young daughters at
this critical spring.time of their lives. It
is not an instinct for evil, it is 70 wish
that they hardly dare to own for some
thing better than they have known,
which makes girls unmnnageable, head
strong. even "fast." And thev have
deeper claim than boys on the utmost
parental wisdom, patience, and tenderness
is more remediless- -Harper's Bazar.
"What will you take to drink ?"
asked waiter Of young led. who. for