Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-01-12
TRUE MANLINESS.


soLe day. You are Ike the little bow
who was pushed aside by one of those
gruff men who dom care much for bows
or anybody else. He said, as he pushed
the little fellow out OF his way: 81
wonder of what good you are nyhowp,
The boy looked up and said: .sSir, they
make men out of such fellows as me. :"
SO 1t lies in the power of every boy, if
he lives. to make man out of himself
Ito "showi himsel a man." In fact
boys try to do this very thing. They
want to be thought manly, and some
times they feel pretty big. Why, the
little boy of eight summers, in his first
pair of fed-top boots, feels almost as big
as his father. Boys try to show them
selves to be men long before they are
out of their teens. But many have
very mistaken idea of true manliness.
Some think it consists in physical
strength, enabling one to whip every
other boy that dares to say a word to
them; that it is sign of manliness to
fly into passion at the least provoca-
cation, and quarrel or pick a fight.
Some boys have not courage enough to
be called coward.
You see [ am a gentlemanr' said
Will Thompson. 81 Will not take an
insult" And the little fellow strutted
up and down with rage. He had been
tn owing stones at Peter Jones, and
thought that his anger proved him to
be gentleman.
Ill you want to be gentleman, /
should think you would be a gentle boy
first" said his teacher. Gentlemen
do not throw stones at their neighbors
Peter Jones did not throw stones at
you, and think he is much more of a
gentleman than you"
" But he has got patches on his
knees" said Will.
Lad pantaloons do not keep boy
temper does. Now. William. if you
want to be gentleman you must first
be gentle boy" ..ss.
A little further on the teacher met
Peter Jones. Some stones had hit him
and he was hurt by them. well,
Peter, what was the matter between you
and Will this morning?' he asked
Il was throwing q ball at one of the
boys in play, sir. and missed him and
hit VIII Thompson dog"
Then, when he threw stones at you,
why did you not throw back?"
Because sir, my mother says to be
gentleman must be gentle bow;
and i thought it best to keep out of his
way until he cooled off Little.
The teacher lived to see Will Thomp-
son rowdy, and Peter Jones a gentle
man, loved and respected by ALL
s1rue manliness does not consist in
following the bad habits of men. One
of these is swearing. Some boys seem
to think it is manly to swear. / have
heard them use the biggest kind of
oaths, as if it would make them appear
manly in the eyes of others. This is
all mistake. No true gentleman, or
lady either, will take the name of God
in vain. 1t is an unbecoming, useless,
and wicked habit. mostly formed in
boyhood days, and must be avoided by
every boy who would show himself a
man.
Another habit is that of smoking and
chewing tobacco. Boys think if they
can stand on some street corner and
have cigar or pipe in their mouth.
the, look like men. Some, who even
begin to pay their. compliments to the
fairer sex, will walk along the streets
in company with ycung lady putting
away at acigar The use of tobacco in
a boy is no sign of manliness. 1t is a
bad habit. that in ures the health,
blunts the moral sense, and is a usual
companion of laziness. 1t often keeps
boys from finding employment 1t is
not manly. Boys, don't begin this
habit
Still another habit is that of intemper-
ance. Many boy has been led into a
life of intemperanoe- by the mistaken
idea that it is manly to drink and stag
ger about and halo, and allsuch things.
This is mistake. The practice of
drinking lowers a boy or young man
in the estimation of all good people
The merchant will not employ him. He
may have the best recommendations, but
ii the tunes of whisky are in his breath.
he will not be employed. The boy that
forms the habit of drinking loses his
manhood, his character, his self-respect.
and may lose his soul If you would
show Yourself. man, abstain entirely
from everything that into icates.
True manliness does not consist in
disobedience to parents. There are
boys who. when they get to be fifteen
or sixteen years old, think they can then
do as they please. They think it sign
'of-manliness to disregard the commands
or requests of their parents. This, in
,s.ead OF. being manly in boy, is un-
manly in any one. Some of the great
est men our country has ever had were
men who were obedient to and re-
spected their parents. James A. Gar
field was an obedient boy. and when he
was inaugurated President of the
United States. he showed his respect
for that aged mother by folding her in
his arms, and kissing her before the as
sembled multitude. George Washing
ton, when quite young. was about to
90 to sea as midshipman. Every thing
was in readiness. His trunk had been
la en- on board the boat. and he went
to bid his mother farewell. when he saw
tears filing her eyes. Seeing her dis
tress, he turned to the servant and. said
"Go and tell them to fetch my trunk