Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-05-16
TO STOP ELoPEMENTs.

"A New York Editor Proposes Very Unro-
mantle and Prosaic Plan.
How to keep the girls at home may
soon be problem demanding solution
in many households blessed with even
less number than eight of the dear
creatures.
Some years ago a writer whose name,
unfortunately, we can not recall, pub
ished thoughtful article, fully illus
trated, on that old and vexatious ques-
ton of how to keep the boys on the
farm. We do not now recall much of
this able paper except the pictures. of
which there were several One of these
represented the boy whom it was
thought desirable to keep on the farm
confined in burglar proof room, with
heavy bars on the windows. etc.
The author argued that there was
nothing better to keep a boy away
from the temptations and snares of
city life than this. Another showed
the boy with a stout chain passed
around his body and the other end
fastened to the stove. This was highly
recommended for making boys feel at
tached to the farm. Still another
represented the boy placed in easy re-
Ginning position, and a considerable
pile of bricks heaped on his legs. The
writer clearly demonstrated that there
was nothing which had a greater ten
dency to make boy cling to the old
homestead
We know not but this author may
have written partly in a spirit of levi
ty; certainly some of his plans are
novel, and we never heard that any of
them were ever put into actual use.
We do not consider them practical.
however beautiful they may be in
theory. and if not adapted to the sue
cessful keeping of boy on the farm
how much less use would they or any
thing of even a remotely similar nat
ure be in restraining an impetuous
young lady bent on flying with a young
man to some accommodating and en-
terprising justice of the peace. The
notorious failure of stone walls and
iron bars to make either a prison
or cage was sung OF long ago, and
nowhere will their inadequacy be more
noticeable than when they are en-
ployed in an attempt to restrain girl
from clipping when her heart is set
on it.
The best and only sure way to pre-
vent the elopement and frequently
break off the match entirely is, we be-
lieve. to watch carefully, and when
the young man appears to carry off
his romantic bride. whether he comes
on white palfrey and puts up a ladder
to her window. as he should do. or
only jumps off a street-car and meets
her in a candy stOre-at this stage of
the proceedings. We say, let the farmer
put in an appearance and produce
minister, either from within the
shadow of the porch or from the rear
of the confectionery establishment and
tarry a moment while the good man
makes them one.
This will break up the elopement
and in a great many instances prevent
the marriage entirely. and the mis-
guided young folks will frequently
conclude they do not wish to be
married as badly as they imagined.
This plan pretty effectually kills off
the romance. There is nothing
romantic, we suppose, about standing
up in the middle of candy store and
getting married. while the sales
ladies litter and chew gum and Gus
toners drop in and wink at one
another. Let the fathers of the coun-
try try this plan on their clipping
daughters and see if it is not success
full N. Y. Tribune.