St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-05-08
A Talk With Boys.

My son, drop that dime novel or
flash paper and let's have a little chat.
Yes. Indian aud detective stories are
thrilling, but don't go too fast. The
chances are that yOu will never see
live Indian outside of circus or a
street parade, aud as for KILN 'em -
don't. No doubt you could strap a
bowie-k and revolver around your
waist, and take loaf of bread under
one arm and a pamphlet life of Buffalo
Bill under the other, and go West and
slay Indians by the cord. but don't
think of ii, An Indian has feelings,
-thc same rs a white man, aud as few
of them have laid 10y any bonds or.
mortgages, or invested to any great
extent in life insurance, yOu must
realize that the widows and orphans of
your victims would he left in Il sad
plight. As for detective stories, go
and talk with real detective or Il
county sheriff Ask 'em about cold
Slcuth's" DISCUSSES and magic luck and
then listen carefully while they tell
you what Il fool you are making of
yourself by grinding the end of your
nose against pages of such trashy tic-
ton. We want You to read, but for
the lands sake look about for some
thing different There are good boy
books, Your father takes the daily pa
pers, and if yon should read II page of
history now and then YOU wouldn't
waste your time. The crowd of New
York publishers who are flooding the
country with tlashpapers and dime
novels are Your worst enemies. No
matter to them whether you grow mp
il respectable man or murderer so
long as they get your money. Their
stories are the hasest lies, too silly
even for a boy ten years old tn believe.
Now, then, look ahout You and see
how many men in our stores and fac
tories and offices and upon the streets
are getting gray aud wrinkled and old.
Twenty years from now not one in ten
of us whom you see in buSine IS will be
able to put our shoulder TO the wheel.
Even a decade will retire tens of thou
sands What then! Why, my son,
this is life which knows no stop.
This is life which knows no rest until
old age cOmpcls it. When the men of
to-day are laid up in drydock the boys
of to-day will he the fresh set of hands
called on deck to work the ship. They
will he the merchants, farmers, manu-
facturers and professional men of the
future. Iou will have Ia bear the bur
dens and anNicties of keeping this
country on the track of peace and pros
perity, and yonr voices will sound from
the halls of congress and Your pens
write words to buru in the memory oi
future generations. Come, now, begin
right. Don't get it into your head that
an Indian killer is about four pegs
above state senator. Don't imagine
that a detective wouldn't trade places
with "A lawyer very quickly if he had
his say about ii. Don't you believe
that an embczzlcr, burglar or murderer
is Il hero, and that men admire him
Drop your novels aud flash papers as
"A starter. The boy who feeds on sucl
trash gets false impressions of tn,
world, and is more certain to bring III
in state prison than in respectable en-
ployment. II you have Il pistol fling
it aside. The man that carries one
about the streets is a coward, and mel
mark him as such. If you have !
bowie knife on hand. turn it over t,
your mother for ii meat or bread-knife
If yOu have Il Sand-clnh lying arount
loose. shy it into the ditch before any
body finds out how empty your heaC
has been. That pair of hrass-knucklei
can he tossed into the river; "Ol(
Sleuthn and Buffalo Biz will make
good bonfire, and then you are read!
tn begin life and to ask yourself wha
trade or profession shall be yours wheI
done in the school Detroit Ere,
Press. .....