, 1882-06-02

to ruin as fast as he can 60" In all
such cases how the poor mothers cry
pierces the heart Il begged his
father not to allow him so much
liberty, but he was sure | did not un-
berstand boys my girls are source
of comfort, but our only son is a liv-
ing grief"
If the girls are not started right
who starts hundreds of sons in such
manner that the end is misery :?
Why are whiskey, low companions,
late hours and vice, "seeing life" for
boys and sin for girls Believe it or
not, fathers of America, "sin is sin
and knows no SEX" Forgery, muir
der, wife-beating, adultery and crime
of all kinds tell us in terrible figures
how many boys are started wrong,
and the responsibility rests largely
with the fathers. A recent list of di-
vorces shows quite two-thirds of the
cases are women appealing to the
courts for protection. What does
this say for our girls =? Only this:
That having suffered in silence from
"gross and wanton neglect, " until 81
lence ceased to be virtue, they have
at last cried out in their agony for
themselves and little ones. The very
word divorce is dreadful to a proud,
loving woman, and hundreds under
go the torture of domestic inquisition,
rather than face publicity but when
honor and love have been trampled
upon, when children are wronged,
then the woman rises in the strength
of her womanhood, and asks the law
to give her the little freedom which
remains for her in life.
Who gave them false ideas of their
duties ? Who taught them one code
of virtue for men and anothes for wo-
men Not the mother never. Their
souls burn with indignation, but their
lips are sealed, for men have long
since decreed that the boys are their
special care. Women insist on pure
lives, not only for themselves, but for
their sons, as well as their daughters.
Do we not all know honest, upright
men, of our own and earlier times,
men hOnored everywhere, pure-heart-
ed, clean handed men, who were "wo-
mems boys 2" Men who, without ia
theirs, or worse than none, have by
the guidance and care of some good
woman, grown up to do themselves
and the world honor The time has
arrived when mothers dread to think
of marriage for their daughters. The
ordinary young man is so shielded by
his fellows that his evil habits are un-
known until some confding young
woman consents to be his wife, and
is wretched forever after. 1t would
not be difficult task to point out
hundreds of families in every large
city, where the moral character of the
sons is doubtful, while the daughters
are models of virtue. If the fathers
train the boys, we ask again who is to
blame -? Young women are thinking
so seriously upon the subject that
many have resolved to remain single
rather than become the life partners
of young men whose past record is
not perfectly clear.
Men may talk until doomsday about
its costing too much to marry" and
the extravaganza Of women, but
in their hearts they know that many
of the very best girls fit themselves
for public life in the professions and
make homes for themselves because
the habits of the ordinary young
man are so offensive to their refined
tastes. This does not come from any
so-called "strong minded notions" or
hatred of women's duties, but from a
sense of self-respect, which leads a
pure, young girl to say:"I cannot ac-
cept the duties of wife and mother,
unless L can do so with one who re-
CARDS them as sacredly as | do They
are too high and holy to be regarded
with other than the purest thought,
and if may not be happy wife l can
at least be good, useful woman"
Now, respected fathers of families,
let woman, and q mother, give you
a bit of advice :; ..7. g
Train your boys to be as pure, clean,
industrious and temperate as you
wish your daughter to be. There is
some hope of a silly, frivolous girl
forgetting her hounces and furbelows
and making a good, sensible woman,
but there is little prospect of bill
iard-room lounger, or a cigar-smok-
ing, cane-swinging boy of the street,
becoming a sensible business man or
wise father. Keep your boys at
home as much as possible, and make
the home as pleasant as your means
and efforts will permit. Put down
the slightest disrespect with a firm
hand No boy should talk about the
cold man" or the "old woman" or
the governor" without knowing
that it was bray betraying his asi-
nine taste, and no girl would be guilty
of such vulgarity. ....
Keep yourselves young in the best
sense, and never let the boys get
away from You and seek sympathy
and companionship elsewhere be-
cause you are so stiff and cold in
your manner Help your wives to