Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-02-07
FENCE-RAILS PHILOSOPHY.
ALecture on the Best Way OF Keeping
the Boys at Home.

as tombstone. What! Your two Old.
est boys run off?
That is calamity, neighbor Jones
and Pm sorry for you, sorry for them
and sorry for those traits of human ma.
ture that makes such misfortune possible
Am l surprised, do you say? Well. yes;
am surprised. Im surprised they didn't
run away long ago, and l see that you
are very much surprised that l should
take such view of the case. But now
let me explain, and I'll do it in my plain
blunt way, for Pm no hand at smoothing
] down rugged facts. Your boys have run
away from home, and you think they
Lad no cause for an act which, to you,
seems like base ingratitude.
But l don't look at it in that lieht.
Your boys left home because they were
starved! Yes; fire up and Get mad
about it if you want 20! Take that hand
spike and knock me off this fence if you
feel that it will relieve YOU; but that
won't make facts any less facts. | will
admit that you gave your boys sufficient
food for their stomachs, enough clothing
for their bodies, and comfortable beds to
lie in. You did the same for your hogs
and your cattle But, neighbor Jones.
you never stopped to consider that your
boys We're rational beings with higher
warts than the brutes exhibit, and so |
say that in the highest and noblest
sense they were starved, and they ran
away to satisfy those mental cravings
which stood no chance of being satisfied
at home. Poor fellows, how have pitied
theml .. .... ... ..l
From morning till night, week to week.
and month to month, throughout the
year, they kne nothing but work, work.
work. You provided them with no
Doohs; You took no papers for them. Net
even poor picture adorns tie walls of
yodr house. You afforded your bows no
pleasure, unless it was TO 90 to the fair
once year and possibly allow them one
visi, 10 the circus. You permitted no
social gatherings at your house, and
Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving
day and birthday anniversaries were no
different from other days. So l say your
poor boys were starved, were i'll treated
and were denied the comforts of life to
which they were entitled.
Yes, yes, l know, you wanted to bring
up your children with the notion ham,
mered intotheIr minds thatlife is very
serious affair, and that the principal
object in living and working is to save
money. 1t is well enough TO be frugal
and industrious, but this can be carried
to extremes like any other good thing.
What is the use OF money anyway, but
for the comforts and enjoyments you can
buy with il? And when is better time
for enjoyments than i'll youth? Ofco1rse
you tell your boys that all the wealth |
you are boarding will eventually so to
them; but that is poor comfort. One
dollar now will buy them more real en-
joyment than fifty dollars will twenty |
years from now.
Now, neighbor Jones, you are not a
bad man at heart. So far as honesty |
goes, you stand well in the community.
You Pay your bills and you neither rob
nor cheat your neighbors; but your con-
slant grind, grind, grind, has worn away |
your better nature and has substituted
an artificial one. How can you change
your life now, do you ask? Easy enough.
You are man of strong resolution and
prompt action. Just resolve to make
he most of the present. Never mind
he future. Turn your attention awhile
rom your fields and cattle TO your home
and your family. Put carpets on your
floors where they are needed, paper
your walls and adorn them with pictures.
Get book case and fill It with choice
works. Subscribe for several good pa
pers. Get your daughters an organ. and
invite the boys and the girls Of the neigh
DOrhood to come in and enjoy them
selves. Give your boys reasonable
allowance Of spending money, and dent
ask them to render an account OF every
nickel. Give them an interest in the
farm. Buy improved farm machinery,
and let them rsc il. Give them land
and stock and let it be sacredly theirs.
Let them feel that their home is a repub-
lie, not monarchy. Do all these things
and if at the end Of the year YOU don't
come to me and say that it has been the
happiest twelve monthsyou have had in
many a year, why Ill agree 10 eat this
fence rail to the last splinter.
Too late, now, do you say, because the
boys have left you? Not too fast.
Would you agree TO reform your lie in
tire manner / have pointed out if the
Boys could be brought home? You
would. Very well, then, you are a man
Of strict integrity. Your word is as good
rs your bond. You have entered into
solemn contract, and | shall see that
you live up to it. About the boys-well,
you needn't worry about them. They
are over at my house having good
time with my youngsters. You see, last
night, when was sitting on this very
fence, medItating over things in general,
who should come along but your two
boys with bundles in hand leaving their
old home behind them. Well, couldn't
see them going out into the world with
out giving them little advice. So l
talked TO them in my plain, blunt way,
and the end of it was, they agree to
stop at my house for day or So and give
4. fa1-