St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-03-01

Make Him Early Thoaghtful
and Self-Reliant.
Congratulate me. old fellow! It's .
bow
What an exultant ring was in the
voice of my enthusiastic young friend.
who had come up three steps at every
bound) to command my congratulatiOn
on the happy issue Of Great Expecta-
tions in his household! And what glow
vas in his face. And how proudly he
seemed to regard his newly-gottcn crown
Of fatherhoOd.
For one swift instant I wavered in my
long-settled conviction that the choicest
fruits of life are grown in the gardens of
bachelorhocd. However, . moments
calmer thought confirmed the old con-
yiction, and at this hour (three days
after the bounding visit, it looms before
my mental vision veritablc rock-ribbed
mountain of truth.
All right, young friend. BE happy in
your boy, and happy and ever happier
be your boy in you. But If ! miss your
JOY, l escape your responsibility, the
solemn and cver-pressing import of
which you little apprehend. BY and
by there will reach you glimmering Of
the momcntous truth (which you must
facet that
A boys will IL the winds will,
And the thoughts Of youth are long, long
thoughts.
But before that time arrives, and
while your baby boy is still your toy,
let me do what disinterested observer,
friend and bachelor may to clear the
road along which both Of you must fare
together. You will not take 1t i'll of me
If venture to say that fathers often
need to be reminded of what they owe
their boys, because, unhappily enough,
obedience end obligation are generally
charged to the debt side Of the Boys ac-
count. This not only lacks the element
of common fairness, but it makes the
father-and-sop relationship one-sided,
despotic and intOlcrable, and monstrOus-
ly repugnant to every lover Of justice
and equal rights.
The conscientious counselor who de-
sires to see established the right rela-
tion between Father and Son will not
approach the question flippantly or in
the offensive spirit and manner of Sir
Oracle OF all the men l have known,
the gentlcst and worthiest-the most
considerate and the least selfish-moral-
ly the bravest and intellectually the
fairest-is that transformations embodi-
ment of the virtues, my well-remem-
bered and honest dear Old Traddles,
whom We lost track of in these pages
years ago. i recall . Characteristic
monologue of his on the identical rela-
tion under discussion here.
From my earliest recollection" he
said, my father made confidant Of me.
OF course, realize now that up to tho
time when began to develop mind and
Judgment in some degree capable to in
sure a mans confidence. my fathers
f,attering attitude was assumed. was
not aware of it then, however, and so in
my own esteem / enjoyed all the i'm
portance and distinction Of being .
gravely-consulted. though very diminu-
tive, adviser in every thing that seemed
to bear nearly or remotely on my own
welfare.
'.Ah! what true diplomacy that was,
to be sure! But it was wise-as wise -
it was sentle-bccause it grounded me
in self-reliance, caution, thoughtfulness
and the habit of weighing opinions. I
shall never cease to love and admire
that kindly and shrewd diplomatist' for
his regard of small me in that respect.
''You will. perhaps, say there was no
generosity in it because it was merely
the performance of a parents duty;
nevertheless, am bound to consider it
a not ungenerous act in father, busted
with cares and weighted with RESPONSE
bilities. to come down from his higher
plane to make confidants and advisers
Of his children. with such motive as
am sure guided my father in his con-
duct toward me-
1t came to pass that Traddles . long
time ago found himself occupying . like
relation to Small BOY. the gravity Of
whose demeanor explains the fact that
during his childhood-the period when
-raddles and l had most in common-I
used to address him as Old Man. I: was
his habit to get up early. walk into
Traddles' bed-chamber before Traddles
got out of he'd and salute him with .
grave Hello" ask him with much 90
litude how he had slept and-,coud he
gire him .fre centss
likewise observed that when Trad
dies chanced TO meet the Old Man on
the street he was likely to salute him
with show are you. partner" or some
kindred familiar phrase. At . table
during the family meals the same gen.
tie or whimsical familiarity was observ-
abla. Traddles consulted the Old Mans
reasonable preferences as considerably '
and with IS much external politeness
Is he did those Of his formal guests, and
in all respects treated him as an equal,
to whom courtesy and well-bred observ-
ancc were An acknowledged prerogative.
not merelya supe:ior's patronizins ~
vor.
twas the came with his reading. I,