St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-04-24
The Kind of Boys We Want.


Again, we can call to mind good men
whose boyhood was very promising.
| suppose the age of the boys this
question takes in must be from eight
to eighteen. from childhood to man
hood. from frank, trusting boyhoOd to
the argumentative age, when the son
can beat his father in an argument and
the father does not think best to beat
his son any more with n rod, but init
mates ia him that lie must be respect
FIJI to his elders.
What | shall say in this paper will
apply to the characteristics OF the boy,
rather than to his age.
We don't want great many awful
smart boys. We want lot of good
ones. We are indebted to DR.. Holland
for the discovery that we don't want,
and ought not to inspire, every boy
with an ambition to be president. We
don't need many doctors, physicians,
ministers or lawyers, though a few of
our boys must adopt these professions,
but there is loud call for multitude
of good citizens in the common walks
of life.
We want boys from good families.
Not that they are always better boys
or make better men than those with
bad blood in them, but they are more
likely to. A good man OF three score
wears, who has brought up large
family of children. once said to me,
Il am not afraid to enquire after my
children in any place where they may
live" The precepts, prayers and eX-
ample of wise Christian parents make
it almost certain that their children
will he valuable men and women. |
WAS acquainted with another man who
valued his son above gold !; was proud
of him was tender and careful of him,
was soIicitous and prayerful of him.
Said the father to me one day Il
have no fear ut all that my boy will go
wrong" | thought | knew the father
and the son. The son was independ-
rnt and high tempered. The father
was also Independent and witlial very
gentle and must not tell all his
characteristics lest he hear of it and
he proud. must say ! had some
donhtS and WAS little amazed ut the
fathers confidence. But the boy is
now a young man: safely a man, Il
Young man for any town to be proud
of. That is the kind of a boy we want.
One that will make glad father.
suppose the question was, 'what sort
of looking boys do we want 7" We
can't make one hair white or black.
But the manner and personal appear
ance of the boy goes very far to win
our favor. We want Il boy of good
size with il ruddy, healthy looking face,
L I. . l,,,l Il az.
straight and broad shouldered without
foppishnesS, tall and muscular with
out being 0vcrbearing. Confident and
independent, yet respectful to others.
with an air of truthfulness all about
him. 4 boy So good looking as that,
comes pretty high.
We want boys with Il generous al
lowancc of continuity, stick-to-it-lve-
ness. Bows who can hoe long rows
yet long lessons. We want boys that
can throw stone far and straight and
make it hum. We want boys who can
lick the cowardlY scamp that plaques
the poorly-clad urchim about his cold
Johnny cake dinner. We want boys
who will do all the chores faithfully
and well without question, even if they
are going to Il party that evening
We want boys with shoulders strong
enough to carry their heads, who have
not had the health and common sense
all schooled out of them.
We want self reliant boys, who ear
Surmnunt difficulties, OF devise means
to get out of trouble. 1t is very inter
esting to notice children's ways Ot
doing things, even when very Young
whether they have quick understand
ing of cause and effect. This faculty
is seen in children that can scarcely
go alone, when they tip chair down
upon it's back, take hold of its legs and
shove it about the floor. One child
may keep pushing until he cries when
he meets an obstruction, while another
may back his team little, turn to the
right or left of the hindrance and pusl
on.
\ few weeks ago some Young boy:
were playing in the sand; nothing {
boy likes better than sand, unless il
he water or mud. \ large raw-boneC
black dog was attending the team thai
drew the sand. Something allied the
top of his ears, and the flies were thicL
on them. The dog seemed to have lefl
off trying to get rid of them. One o
| the boys looked ut him for littl,
while and then tried to make friend:
with them 10y repeating the dog name
! Then he turned to me and said in ;
pitving tone ''hies on his ears, if he
would keel over he could get then
Off" \ minute after he changed
! his tone and said to another boy, Il
was up on that wagon | should jus
us lief throw stone ut that dog"
| think if that boy ever sees any trouble
ahead he will manage to get safely
over it.
think nearly all boys are truthful
until somebody has taught them to lie
We like to believe all Il boy says, if Ia
hasn't any hatchet.
We are very proud of our prOmisin:
boys. We like to believe them fret
from faults.
If good boys. and don't mean boy
! good enough to have a book writer
about them, knew how much is known
and said of their fine qualities the.
would not consider life 80 slow an,
! tOilsume.
| How often it is said of man VIII,
/ has become great and good and wise
"He was born in our town, he went t.
school in our old school house. Per
haps they viii tell you he is now .iudg
| of the supreme court.
Great things are expected OF the kim
of boys We want. doubt if our boy
are commended often enough for wei
DONG. OF know how much credit the,
may get for excellence in their boyisl
| work. There were two men whom
always was glad to see at our hous
when my brothers and were boys
| They always congratulated father OF
/ the health, strength and industry q
his boys. noticed that father SCENE,
to think as they did, at the time