The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-17
n if this manhood turns out to be of poo,

Tor II this manhood turns out to be OF poor
quality
Two young mothers were one day follow
ing with their eyes the movements of a lit
tie girl three years old. ''What an inter
estlng age" said the mother Of the tiny
baby; shut some children outgrow it. My
boys now are just as uninteresting as can
be-" The other mother heard this state
ment with some surprise, and looked with
more than common interest ever after at
the two little boys that had ceased to be in
teresting to their mother.
There Is no doubt that there are many
people of both sexes who agree with the
speaker and pass the boy of eight to twelve,
or of age ranging between these two
figures, with an indifference that is not
only peculiar and pathetic, but is hard to
understand.
Suggestive as may be the interchange of
thought between our babes and ourselves,
fascinating asitis to watch to development
OF intellect, and to get answers to the ques-
tions, What are your thoughts, my
babyl" What in the world of sense has
most impressed youl" "Are you like papa,
like mamma, or like some one else!"
These same questions asked of the boy Of
ten or twelve will receive answers that are
full of enlightenment and that will induce
thought. To be content with observation
OF infancy and of early childhood alone is
to be satisfied with the well sounding title
of book, aud to give no heed to the wis
dom of its pages.
,, Gentleness and patience are the qualities
greatly needed by the mother of boy. She
might be helped by the politeness and good
example of others, but often she is called to
sympathize with her son on account of af-
fronts offered him by his superiors. 1t Is
no uncommon experience of BOY who goes
on an errand; and will make his wants
known and pay his money quite as readily
as his father would, to be met in the store
and office with a salutation that chills the
marrow in his bones if he is a timid boy,
not well padded with flesh. ''Here boy,
get out of here! What do you want any
| how." are brutal words and ought never to
| be spoken.
| Many boy often exhibits in his daily life
many qualities that ought not to be meas
ured by the same high standard by which
| grown-up virtues are measured. Awk-
wardness and noise are to be expected
noise, because healthy boy cannot live
without it; a boy that is growing so fas-
that his hands and feet seem larger at din
ner than they did at breakfast, cannot be
expected to handle knife and fork with
grace. and the lengthening feet may hi
against table and chair legs without con
scious sin.
There are weighty questions surging VI
within these undeveloped brains. A ques
ton asked of mother at bed time, a tender
hour that a true mother will court as bi
of life well lived, if spent with her chill
dren, will sometimes reveal startling
clearness and depth of thought. Such
question should be answered seriously ant
sincerely. Mother said bay ten years
old, to the mother whom he dared to asl
any question or contide any matter of in
terest to himself. Mother, often ask my
self what we are living for, anyway. Does
God keep us for pets, as we keep cats AMI
dogs, or does he like to see fighting COINS
on, as boys do sometimesl' On another
occasion, after hearing some conversation
regarding church debt and those having nj
voice in contracting it being obliged to hell
pay, the boy said: Mamma, l think i
wrong for church to get into debt. 1t i
like firing off gun on some people yol
don't know anything about.n
To say that a boy like this land he's no
an exceptional one) is not interesting, tina
he is not capable of appreciating gentl
treatment, is to say. with the calm air tina
ignorance blissfully assumes, that blac
and white are exactly the same.