Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-02-21

mer. Therefore from May TO Oct0
Der all boys went barefoot, even to
church. A pair Of cowhide boots
were good enough for anybody
boy, and a six-shilling cap fitted him
out for head gear.
What amnse ments did we have
In the towns and villages the boys
had their games for Saturday after.
noon, but during the rest of the week
were expected to put in their time
at the wood-plle or in the garden.
/ On a farm it was not more than twice
year that boy got half day off.
I It was considered sinful to dance.
and singing was not much encourag-
ed. Ii a lad had any musical talent
he had mere enemies than friends.
The idea Of most parents seemed to
be to prevent their boys from hav-
ing a good time. Ii a lad could not
be loaded down with enough work
to keep his spirits in check, there
were plenty of women in the neigh
borhood to tell him to bis face that
they expected to live to see him hung
for murder.
As to the family government, the
old-time father was supposed to be
infallible. He could not take his
sons life, but he could come very
near it and escape even censure.
The boys were not requested, but
ordered, to do this and that. / can
remember many fathers who made
it a practice to keep "gads y in the
house. About once in so long they
made trip to the woods to cut blue
beech and hickory switches, and
these were laid by to season. The
boy who did not receive a Sc licking"
ut least once week felt that some
thing dreadful was about to happen
IN that community. 1t was consid-
cred the correct thing to "tan his
jacket " on general principles. Many
parents reasoned that unless a boy
was thrashed about once in so often
he would be pretty sure to go to the
bad. | can not remember a case
where boy did not stand in fear of
his father.
Our school advantages In the
villages we had but one school for
all sizes and ages, and when II boy
had so far progressed that he could
.read, write and cipher" he was
considered fairly educated. The
schoolmasters knew little more, and
seemed to take more pleasure in
furnishing a scholar than in encour-
aging him over hard lesson.
What show was there for boy to
get start in life 2 None at all, COM
pared to the chances of today. If
he started out to learn trade he
was bound like a slave, treated little
better than one, and paid almost
nothing. Instead OF a human being
he was drudge. Ii he worked by
the day he must do a dollars worth
of labor for shilling, simply be-
cause he was boy. When ] look
back and remember how tire boys of
that age were treated-how little
they had to encourage them what
few chances offered-l wonder that
so many turned ont so well.
The business ofthis country to-day,
my boy, is being carried on by the
men who were boys twenty and
twenty five years ago. All the grand
tunnels and bridges and buildings
are being built by them; all the
great discoveries III science and art
are being made by them; they are
our Mayors and Governors and law
makers; they are our poets, states
men, editors, bankers, lawyers and
merchants. II, under such disad-
yantages of early life, they have been
able to achieve these triumphs, what
can we not expect of you 7 In about
a score Of years the world will be
turned over to you to run. What
will You do with the legacy M
Quad.