The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-09-14

why it is That the Country hoy 4. nc TO
Learn More EsiI Than q Csty Boy.

Learn More EstI Than g CITY Boz.
Il distinguished man, whose boyhcod
was passed partly in the country and
partly IN the city, recently testified tina,
ne found his boy companions in the coun-
try much worse than those il, the CITY
1t is our habit to think Of the coun-
Try, he said, las the abode Of innocence
and purity, and Of the city az the haun.
OF vice. but at this remove Of time can
not recall hearing single bad word from
my schoolmates in the large institution
which attended in Boston. feel sure
that some must have been uttered, for
there were several hundred boys in the
building, but / cannot remember hear
ing any.
My experience with the boys in the
country Is. however. in my memory very
different. There were two or three
dreadful boys there who corrupted We
whole school. They were fourlnouthed
and full of iniquity."
A family Of boys who spend their sum
mers in the country and their winters in
the city have frequently remarked the
same thing. They find good boys in both
places. but more badness in proportion
III the country, and, as they themselves
express it, their badness is worse. :"
Somehow" remarked one of them
naively, the city boys are more polite
about it, and maybe it's only that that
makes them seem not quite so bad. :"
Nearly all who possess an intimate ac-
quaintance with both city and country
will testify to the general truth of these
conclusions.
The reasons are not far to seek. In the
city schools the youth are more carefully
graded than in the country, not only in
the direction of mind, but of morals. A
normal and well brought up boy has a
much wider choice as TO his playmates
III the one than in the other, and such d
boy will usually select bis friends among
the better boys. In the country he is
thrown necessarily with children with
whom his parents would much rather he
should not associate The democracy of
the village is absolute, however, and any
attempt to establish an aristocracy, even
Of virtue, is deeply resented by the par
ents Of the Objectionable youth. Such
parents usually consider their children
as good as the rest.
In the city he has comparatively little
opportunity to put in corrupting work
among good boys. The bad boys herd
by themselves and often become formid-
able gangs, the terror of peaceful citi-
zens and even of the police. In the coun-
try the bad boy has only few compan-
ions as bent on sin as himself, but he has
free access to well brought up children,
often influencing them to deeds of evil
which they remember with shame as
| long as they live,
There seems suggestion here for those
who live in the country or who pass
moro or less time there zach year, who
| love 1t and cannot bear to think Of the
plague spots upon it, to put in some mis-
sionary work among the country bad
boys. A months effort. unobtrusively
and spontaneously given, among doubt
full boys in a country place may raise
the tone of whole neighborhood for
years afterward. To show such boys
that you respect the good in them, to
praise them for whatever they excel in,
to show an interest in their worthy pur-
suits, to take them. in short. at thei,
best-this work might be more farreach.
ing in it's good effects than the getting
up of bazaar or the giving of Il straw.
berry festival.-New York Times
A Lawy sTI Opinion of Rogues-
In the older portions of Virginia 1t Is
the custom now, as it was some years
ago, for the judges to travel over theil
| circuits and hold court. With the judge:
went the lawyers. In a certain district
I have in mind the Nestor of the bal
was precise gentleman of the OLD
school, who wore ruff1ed shirt fronts and
cuffs and prided himself on his invaria
BILE attendance upon divine service at
the town in which court was being held
He insisted on similar attendance OF
it his business to sec that they went
with him In Il body.
One Sunday morning they found them
selves at q town with no church excep
one belonging to the Methodists, an(
although this Nestor was an Episcopa
Ian he notified the younger attorney
that they would be expected to go t.
church as usual. They We're late In get
ting ready, and when the dignifed OLD
lawyer appeared in church and marched
up the middle aisle, followed by all tn
lawyers in the district, the minister wa
we'll in his sermon. He stopped in hi
discourse, however, gazed at the leade
Of the file second, and then said;
my friend, if you had not stopped t.
prink and to arrange those ruffies SO care
fully you could have got to church II
time. AS it is, you come at this late hou
and disturb the worshipers by your en-
trance. 1 give you warning now" tn
preacher added solemnly, raising hi
finger to make the words more impress
sive, "that at the judgment day shall
appear to testify against you"
The old lawyer had stopped when tn
minister began to address him and stoo'
waiting in the aisle. When the preache
was through, the lawyer said'
"Sir, I have been practicing at the ba
for 40 years, and that much experienc
has shown me that the greatest rogu
always turns states evidence. "-Ne7
York Sun.
Getting a Comfortable Income.
The charitably disposed women VIII
interest themselves In church missionar
work encounter a great variety Of pre-
texts and tricks resorted to by improvi
| don+ low aod vicio1s DarsOnS for oh