The Opelousas courier., 1900-11-17
A Good Word for the Boys.

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Under the caption of practical Re-
Aberdeen (Miss.) Examiner contains
the following, which should find q place
in every paper in the State
What are you so-called refOrmers
doing for the benefit of the boys who
are growing up about you-the full
blooded, restless, spirited, animated,
nervous young fellows, whose idle hours
scorn the placidity that may be congo
nial to those whose lives have been
tempered by long years OF labor, ex.
perienee, disappointment and safety Y
"Do you think yon energize the blood
in their veins or the gray matter in
their brains by seedlings, m or
Iecturesq Do you expect them to
steadily tramp along paths it took yen
a generationssto discover? Do you OK
pect them to profit by your recitals OF
experience when you remember, every
man of you, that You smiled cOntemptu-
ously at similar recitals years ago, II
purchased your W experience as men
in all generations have bought itS
"These boys are entitled to something
better than sermons, scolding and lect-
ures, and you are robbing. them, swim
ding them out OF their birthrights 1T
you do not supply it.
You tell them they should not Sdo
this or that, and yeti little inquiry or
their part discovers that their would
be mentors pioneered the very roads
through the brambles they are travel
ing. What are you doing for these
boys to make them better and wiser and
more c~ontented2
what are you offering as a substl,
tute for the crap game the pO0t-rOOm-
the poker chips, or wOrses
"You can subscribe money for the
education Of the heathens in distant
lands yon can wing long prayers to the
mercy seat for the suffering and the sim
ming of other hemispheres. and yet you
do not offer a dollar or make n Dracti-
cal effort to better the condition or
gladden. the hearts of the noble, rest
less, easily nodded boys about you, who
are to become husbands of the sweet.
pure, beautiful daughters of your hearts
and homes.
"We commenced being a boy some
years ago. and, thank God, have never
outgrOwn our bOyhood, and have nj
munion with the boys and. understand
their moods and needs.
"If you will get together Il few hun
dfed dollars and establish in a nice To-
caiity and with pleasant surroundings
a library and reading-room, provided
with ample furniture Of chairs and
tables, with chess, checkers, dOminos,
cribbage boards, ETC.. you will be able
to concentrate, aMuse and humanlZe
and gentleize your boys. Then ii you
select n lady for librarian and custo-
dian, You will make the rooms doubly
attractive and assure Gelicacy and Or
der and provide a pleasant resort
where the brother may enjoy the COM
pany and angelic protection Of the sis
ter, and where the mother may come
with her children.
lyon so-called reformers may get in
your work npon the old, the halt, the
blind of heart and sentiment /; you may
capture the sinner whose liver aud
stomach have been consumed in sin
ming you may win to virtue the man
satiated by indulgence, but you are
of the boys except that fraction of the
clan that never were boys in any
thing but years. Yon must provide in
noeent, instructive and attractive re-
sorts ii You would win them from those
you ~deprecate.
'If You want to fight the devil a win
ming fight, exhibit a little of the devils
good sense and tact. When he gets out
his programmes advertise rival attrac-
tions. Go in to win, lead trumps and
achieve success by deserving it.
"To-day there is not a single attrac-
ton for a full FLOODED boy in this city
that can win him from a pool-room or O
game of craps when the hours of the
days labor are numbered.
"You have as good q mess of chill
dren' here as any city In the world can
boast. and you are doing less to make
life attractive to them than any dark
corners in Africa.
Following the establishment OF n
library and reading-room would come
a course of winter evening lectures
lectures by talented citizens and by
notables from abroad, and we would be
all better in every respect by a practi-
cal reform movement of this character.