Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-02-24
A CHANCE FOR THE YOUNG.

We publish elsewhere suggestion, py
one who knows boys better than any other
gentleman of our acquaintance, in favor
of providing some public, congenial and
continuous amusement for the young of
our city. Men often die of diseases of
which the best physicians will tell you
there was no real occasion they should die,
and boys often 60 to the bad by paths
there is no rational excuse for their walk
ing. In both cases the fault has been that
the patient was not taken hold of early
enough nor subjected to the proper treat
ment. 1t is great mistake to infer that
lad takes to dissipation because of the
excitement of it. A real healthy boy does
not need excitement he is full OF 1t
already; all he wants is some vent for it,
and he will not choose dangerous ways if
better and safer are provided for him.
We never witness the irrepressible and
noisy gambols of boys under the parental
roof without devoutly wishing there was
some public corral in which they might
all be impounded and allowed to exhaust
themselves into proper condition to be
sent to bed. Their vitality is terrific and
their capacity for bounce simply marvel
lous. A boy repressed all Sabbath, shoots
momentum and danger of bomb from
mortar. AS these Youngsters grow older
something more advanced than childish
amusements must be provided. Shall they
have them ready at hand or shall they
hunt them with the deadly danger of pick
ing up the wrong sort This is the ques-
tien our correspondent is trying to solve.
Whether, when young fellow comes in
home &C night, he shall be able to frankly
look you in the face and say where he has
been and who he has seen, or whether he
shall be ashamed to speak of both; whether
he shall come in with the ruddy hue of
healthy amusement on his cheek or the
flush of dissipation. If this world were
Arcadia we would have none Of this trou-
BILE. but it is not. 1t is just simply the
World; not half as bad as we think, nor
yet good enough to safely trust our chill
dren to. Still we must trust them TO it
more Or less; there is nothing else to do.
And so, recognizing this, our correspon-
dent suggests his remedy whichs is to pro-
vide them with public amusements of Al
innocent and healthy character. The rig
id disciplinarian may inquire why chill
dren can't be amused at home. So they
might be if parents bad wealth at their
command to put away all care. but tired
father weary of the days toll at his place
of business and laden with the anxieties
of the morrow. and the worn mother fret
ted with thousand little cares of the day
are immeasureably separate in their feel
ings from the exhuberence of romping
children. There are some beautiful pic
lures of domestic peace and the entertain
ment of children in quiet content at home,
but they are chiefly confined to the sweet
family pictures in Life Insurance adver-
tisements. We must just look at the
world as we find it. and that seems to be the
way our correspondent has done with most
excellent common sense. His suggestion
gees to the root Of the matter and, if In It's
details there be room for amendment, we
trust that his main idea will be carried
that Is the provision of a public amuse-
mept for our yonng people to be enjoyed
under the friendly gaze of the public eye.