Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-03-21
A Lesson TO Parents.

The sympathy of the public was re-
Gently intensely aroused by the disap-
pearance from Boston of boy of fifteen
years. If possible, the SYM PATTY with
his parents was increased when he re-
turned safe and sound after six DAYS
voyage, having successfully lied his way
to Nova Scotia and back again To have
found Il child dead would have seemed
TO many parents less atiliction than to
have discovered him capable of such
ingratitude and deceit. While it may
be unsafe to express too decided an
opinion on the merits OF this particular
case from such reports as the newspa-
pers have brought us, trusting parents
completely deceived in the character of
their children are too common to lose
this opportunity to point moral.
The truth is, children grow up much
faster than parents are aware. While
mother innocently believes her little
girls mind is entirely occupied with
her dolls and pets, in reality the child
is weaving romances in which some
callow youth is the central figure, and
herself the heroine. She may fancy
her boy is entirely engrossed with his
marbles and his balls, but the lad
himself has already determined his fu-
ture career of renown in the pirates or
highwayman's fascinating profession.
1t is terrible revelation when sur
reptitious Irritation with the telegraph
messenger, or n midnight escapade,
shows too plainly where the heart of the
child is placed. We knew case in
which boy of fifteen was charged with
revolving crime, and afterwards found
guilty. The surprise and agony of his
mother were heartrending. at can
not be, was her cry, "he is little
boy. Why, he is my baSy. Every
night he puts his arms around my neck
and kisses me. 1t is not possible"
Had the boy actually been babe in the
cradle, the mother would have been no
more astonished. 1t is fiction pleas
ing to the parents hearts that their
children are but children, to young to
know or dream of any evil more heinous
than childish peccadilloes. But it is s
fiction fraught with grave perils. Every
mother ought 10 know if her boy
smokes. Yet we can point to half
dozen boys who puff along the streets,
whose mothers firmly believe them to
be angels of light, and would be indg.
nantly incrcdulous if told the facts.
The power of evil companionship is
well understood. No sane parent
would for moment think of allowing
child to associate constantly with
PRAYED or vicious companion. 1t would
be expected that he would be ruined. 1t
ought TO be rs well understood that a
lad book is a bad companion, with
power over the mind of n youth even
greater than that of friend. In asso-
citation with a person there is an ele-
ment of reality that will prevent boy
OF naturally good tendencies from fol
lowing evil counsel too far. Brought
face to face with Wild Ben, the Texas
Ranger, doubtless fastidious youth
would shrink from his manifest wicked
ness and vulgarity. Introduced to him
through the medium of the illustrated
paper or the saffron-tinted book, his
Imagination seizes upon the conspicuous
attractions of that questionable ac-
quaintance, and converts him into a
hero. 1t is n pitiable sight that greets
our eyes on a Saturday night in popu-
lar news-store. The bright-eyed boys
who come in, 20 out carrying
with them for Sunday reading illus
trated looks and papers that will intro
duce them to class of men who would
brighten them if met in the dark. I'm
probable adventures, mawkish love.
daring crime, are the staples of the
plots. Not every boy who peruses
these papers will run away from home,
or become a criminal, but but every
boy who makes such literature the
companion of his leisure hours is less
fitted to take up cheerfully and intelli-
gently the homely duties of practical
life, is less susceptible to all pure and
ennobling influences of companions or
of books,
The formative years of child's life
are few. In those years eternal vigil
ance is the price the parent must pay
for future safety. Not in the spirit of
suspicious watchfulness, bat in the
spirit of cordial sympathy, the father
and mother should seek to know what
company their children are keeping.
what books they are reading, and eyea
what thoughts they are thinking.
Golden Rule.