The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-04-12
Hints for the Boys or Their Mothers.

If girls are often awkward, ungrace.
full and liable to fall into habits which
iniure both their health and beauty,
what shall be said of boys of the same
agep Most mothers take great pains
with the girls of the family, seeming to
think that their ''chances" in life
largely depend upon their looks and
manners.
Yet these same mothers seem utterly
Indifferent to the disagreeable habits c
their boys; or they shift the RESPONSE
bility on to the shoulders OF the dancing
master or boarding-school teacher and
grumble if he does not change them
into Apollos; or after few inefficient
efforts, they give up with a despairing:
al don't believe boys can help being
awkward. They'll come out all
right after few years, and no one ex-
poets much of a boy" Now it is pos
sible, though not probable, that the un-
couth boy will become a Incorporating
man; but, even if he should, is it worth
while that he should for years render
! himself disagreeeble to all but his near
est friends; that he should repel instead
of attract?
Outdoor exercise and sports do much
to make boys strong and straight; yetit
is very common among those who are
growing fast especially if they read or
study a good deaD, to find the head
thrust forward, the shoulders round
and STOPPING, and aslouehing, ungrace-
full carriage. Until these things are
corrected, no boy can be thoroughly
strong and vigorous. Is the health of
your boy of any less Importance than
that of your grip
Biting the nails is one of the most an
noying habits. and yet one which almost
any boy will fall into unless his mother
"nips it In the bud" Not only is it al
most uncomfortable for nervous person
to sit in the room with one of these nail
biting boys, but the young mans hands
are injured in appearance, and, If the
habit be carried to excess, they will be-
come almost deformed. In these days
of professional manicures, mothers
ought, at least, to see hat there are no
ragged nails and raw fingers among
their children.
A habit of snufling, or of scraping the
throat, of tapping the floor with the
foot, or the table with the knuckles,
comes on gradually, but, once fixed, is
exceedingly difficult to overcome.
Eternal vigilance should be a
, mothers watchword, for the true secret
of curing bad habits is in never allow
ing them to be formed. The ''ounce of
, prevention" is worth more than the
, ''pound of cure"
l would not take away anything Of
boyishness or naturalness. A real boy
is worth half dozen tops or dudes.
But do not see why boys should not
be as graceful and well-mannered as
their sisters; why they can not sit down
at table without hitting it and Earring
= the dishes as well as the temperS of the
. whole family; why they can not eat
/ slowly and noiselessly; why they can
not cross room without stumbling
A against the furniture; or close a door
: without slamming it; or sit quietly while
\ reading or listening.
9 1t should be perfectly natural for a
boy to lift his hat to his mother or sister
t when he chances to meet them on the
street; to rise from comfortable chair
: when older persons enter the room; to
. entertain visitor when the rest of the
. household is occupied. DO you say il
h is too much for a boy to think of all
d these things? If the mother has trained
him from babyhood constantly and
|. carefully, he will do them without
n thinking.
Good manners are a growth, and boy
8 hood is the time, and home the place
h in which they should grow.-MrS. M
n G. Rankin, IN Congregdttonat'St.