Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-30
A Short Talk with the Boys

Come, now, my lad, but you want to-
run away. No boy ever yet reached
the age of fifteen without having several
times firmly resolved to leave home.
When a boy has made up his mind tot
a thing of this sort he ought to carry il
out by all means. The first step in the,
programme is to begin saving up bread,
and meat. When you have ; bushel Oh
so of provisions hidden in the barn on
under the wood-shed you are ready for
the battle with the cold world. Make
your start at night. This will prevent
the SUI from tanning your complexion,
and you will be quite certain of the.
company of a tramp or two. =
Some boys leave q note pinned to the
pillow of their bed. This note goes
on to say that the boy has been jawed,'
knocked down and dragged out, until
he has made up his mind to sever the
connection. He will never be heard Of
more. 1t is probably the best way to
leave a note Of this. kind, as the family
are then made to fully realize their
cruelty in driving the poor boy out
among strangers.
When you have packed up. your little
bundle and are off it will be we'll to set-
tie upon some plan for the, futuye.
Perhaps you want to be a sailerp' Moth.
ing is easier. Make. your way TO- some
lake or seaport, and most any Captains!
will take you. If he can't disgust you
with the sailoring business in about a
week, tar-buckets, sea-sickness, poor
provisions and a ropes, end will DO
called upon to assist him.. Z
Perhaps you want to become Almighty
hunter? Mighty hunters are not madeF
in a few days or weeks. You want to
begin by letting your hair and finger
nails grow, sleeping in a. swamp, and
wasting two dollars worth of ammuni-
ton to kill q ten-cent chipmunk..
If you have decided to become a, bank
clerk, we'll and; good. Make tracks for
the nearest city, and the first bank YOU
enter will jump at the chance OF. en-
ploying you at a salary Of $500 per
month. If it should SO happen that tho
bank didn't do any jumping as you
made application, you a console your
self with the reflection that tits about
to bust.
But. speaking in all seriousness, my
boy, if l had a dozen sons l should be
glad to have each and every n of them,
take his turn at running away trombone.
It is the best cure in the world for that
disease called ''swell-head." There's
= heap of romance in the idea Of rnn-
ming away. You think of the sparkling
sea, the green prairies, coral strands,
robbers caves and pirates treasures
You feel that you know so much more
than your father that it is 3 waste of
brains for both of you to remain in. the
same house. You have been forced to
90 to school, and have been ordered TO-
60 to the grocery after butter like .
common slave. Don't stand it any
longer! Pick up your duds and; leave
the house and go forth into the world.
What! Come to a full stop in the road
before you are a mile away! You've got
q peck or more of soul meat and moldy
bread in a 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 PERI
haps father isn't so much to blame for
bossing YOU, around. Come to think it
all over, perhaps you'd better return
home. and try and standi it for a few.
nor weeks.
All! my son, but we've. all been there!
All these wrinkled and dignifed and
bald-headedi old men yon meet or the
streets have had about the same expert
ence, We've had that same period Of
.sweIl-head," and eight out of ten ct
us have packed our bundles and slid out
to escape parental tyranny. Eight out
of ten Of us, have slipped back again,
too, and the experience was the right
sort of medicine for the disease ANY
time you come to feel that you are a
poor, over-worked and down-trodden
boy, and that if you only had a fair
show you'd know more.in aminuste than
your father does in an hour, just skip.
There's nothing like it-*.M Qaad' IN
Detroit Free Press.