The Opelousas courier., 1884-05-17
A Tall with Boys.
A FUNNY MANS SERIOUS TALK ABOUT
THE TRASH THEY READ.

Yes. Indian and detective stories
are thrilling, but don't GO too fast.
The chances are that you will neye
see a live Indian outside of a circus or
street parade. and as for killing 'em-
don't.
No doubt you could strap a bowie
knife and revolver around your waist,
and take a loaf of bread under one arm
and a pamphlet life of Buffalo Bill un-
der the other, and go West. and slay
Indians by the cord, but don't think
of it.
An Indian has feelings, the same as
a white man, and as few of them have
laid by any bonds or mortgages, or in
vested to any great extent in life in
%surance, you must realize that the
widows and orphans of your victims
would be left in a sad plight.
AS for detective stories, go and talk
| with a real detective or a county sher-
if. Ask 'em about "Old Slenth's" dis
guises aud exploits. and magic luck
and then listen carefully while they
tell you what a fool you are making of
yourself by grinding the end of your
nose against pages of such trashy tic
ton. We want you to read, but for
the lands sake look about for some
thing different. There are good boy
books, your father takes the daily
papers, and if you should read Il page
or two of history now and then you
wouldn't waste your time.
That crowd of New York publish
ers who are flooding the country with
flash papers and dime novels are your
worst enemies. No matter to them
whether you grow up a respectable
man or q murderer as long as they
get your money. Their stories are the
basest lies, too silly even for a boy
ten years old to believe.
Now, then, look about yon and see
how many men in our stores and fac
tories and offices and upon the streets
are getting gray and wrinkled and old.
Twenty years from now not one in
ten of us whom you see in business to
day will be able to put our shoulders
to the wheel. Even a decade will re-
tire tens of thousands. What then ?
Why, my son, this is a world which
knows no stop. This is a life which
knows no rest until old age compels
it.
When the men of to-day are laid up
in dry. docks the boys of to-day will
be the fresh set of hands called on
deck to work the ship. They will be
merchants, farmers, manufacturers and
professional men of the future. You
will have to bear the burdens and INK
ieties of keeping this country On the
track of peace and prosperity, and
your voices will sound from the halls
of congress and your pens write words
to burn in the memory of future gene
rations.
Come, now, begin right. Dou't get
it into your head that an Indian killer
is about four pegs above a State Sen
ator. Don't imagine that a detective
wouldn't trade places with a lawyer
very quickly ifhe had his say so about
it. Don't you believe that an embez-
zler, burglar or murderer is a hero.
and that men admire him. Drop
your novels and fash papers as a
starter. The boy who feeds on such
trash gets false Impressions of the
world, and is more certain to bring up
in states prison than in respectable
employment. If you have a pistol,
fling it aside. The a that carries
one about the streets is a coward and
men mark him as such. If you have
a bowie-knife on hand, turn it over to
your mother for a meat or bread knife
If you have a sand club lying around
loose shy it into the ditch before any
body finds out how empty your head
has been That pair of brass knuckles
can be tossed into the river ''Old
Sleuth'' snd Buffalo Bill' will make q
good bonfire, and then you are ready
to begiu life and ask yourself what
trade or profession shall be yours
when done in school.-TM. Quad il
Detroit Free Press.