The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-06-26
Short Talk With the Boys.
BY N. QUAD.

C0me, uOW, NY lau, uul you VAIN w
run away. No boy ever yet reached the
age of is without having several times
firmly resolved to leave home. When a
boy has made up his mind to do thing
of this sort he ought to carry it out by
all means. The first step in the pro-
gramme is to begin saving up bread and
meat. When you have bushel or so of
provisions hidden in the barn or under
the wood-shed you are ready for the bat
tie with the cold world. Make your
start at night. This will prevent the sun
from tanning your complexion, and you
will be quite certain of the company of a
tramp or two.
Some boys leave note pinned to the
pillow of their bed. This note goes on
to say that the boy has been jawed, bull
dozed, starved, pounded and knocked
down and dragged out, until he has made
up his mind to sever the connection.
He will never be heard of more.
When you have packed up your little
bundle and are off it will be we'll to set
tie upon some plan for the future. Per-
haps you want to be sailor? Nothing
is easier. Make your way to some lake
or seaport, and most any captain will
take you. If he can't disgust you with
the sailoring business in about a week,
tar buckets, sea.sickness, poor provisions
and ropes end will be called upon to
assist him.
Perhaps you want to become mighty
hunter? Mighty hunters are not made
in few days or weeks. You want to
begin by letting your hair and finger
nails grow, sleeping in q swamp, and
wasting 81 worth of ammunition to kill a
ten cent chipmunk.
If you have decided TO become q bank
clerk, we'll and good. Make tracks for
the nearest city, and the first bank you
enter will jump at the chance of employ.
ing you at q salary of 5000 per month.
If it should so happen that the bank
didn't do any jumping 3" you made ap'
plication, you can console yourself with
the reflection that it is about to bust.
But, speaking in all seriousness, my
boy, if 1 had dozen sons l should be
glad to have each and every one of them
take his turn at running away from home.
It is the best cure in the world for that
disease called "swell-head." There's a
heap of romance in the idea of running
away. You think of the sparkling sea,
the green prairies, coral strands, robbers
caves and pirates treasures. You feel
that you know 30 much more than your
father that it is a waste of brains for
both of you to remain in the same house,
You have been forced to so to school, and
have been ordered to split wood and go
to the grocery after butter like q common
slave. Don't stand it any longer! Pick
up your duds and leave the house and
20 forth into the world.
What! Come to a full stop in the
road before yon are mile away! You've
got a peck or more of sour meat and
moldy bread in pillow.case, seventeen
cents in your pocket, and just think how
your father and mother have missed you
at home! The romance begins to wear
off, eh You don't care half as much
about mermaids and palm-groves and
pirate ships as you did an hour ago
You hate to leave mother after all and
perhaps father isn't so much to blame for
bossing you around. Come to think il
all over perhaps you'd better return
home and try and stand it for few more
weeks.
All my sou, but we've all been there
All these wrinkled and digni6ed and
bald-headed old men you meet on the
streets have had about the same expert
ence. We've had the same period o.
"swell-head," and eight out of ten of u:
have packed our bundles and slid out tc
escape parental tyranny; Eight out O.
ten of us have slipped back again, too
and the experience was the right sort o.
medicine for the disease. Any time you
come to feel that you are poor, over
worked and downtrodden boy, and tha
if you only had a fair show you'd know
more in minute than your father doe!
in an hour, just skip. There's nothing
| like it.