The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-04-24


at home how to choose his cOmpan-
ions among his school and play
fellows, and there are too many
mothers who regret, as their son be
gin to grow away from them, that
they did not begin very early in the
life of the little lads, when first old
enough to "go out and play" to find
out the kind of boys chosen to share
in his games and condolences.
1t is claimed to be an acknowledged
fact that many ii boy who has had
the advantages of good training at
home and at school failsto avail him
self of his opportunities and grows
up careless in dress and language ;
and that while not absolutely vicious,
he looks leniently upon much that
his parents and friends regard as rep
rehenSible.
Among the various causes that lead
to such physical, mental and moral
laxity, none is more potent than
cOmpaniOnship with idle or immoral
boys. Many IA lad spends hours with
comrades whom he despises, at first
then excuses, and finally associates
with on equal terms of a close COM
paniOnship. We all desire that our
sons should keep company, and we
cannot and should not deprive them of
the outdoor cOmpaniOnship of boys
of their own age. What we most de
sire Is that they themselves should
choose their companions among
honest, studiOus, manly boys, and
as far as possible, avoid the society
of the mean, idle and vicious yet,
at the same time that they should
treat all with the courtesy due from
one human being to another.
We can scarcely understand the
character of our boys companions by
his own description of them since
boys regard their favOrites with
eyes that e only their good quail
ties, forgetting the coarse language,
the vulgar jest, the cruel trick, the
truant-playing-he Is such a jolly
fellow, plays such a good game -
Although we may notice occasion
ally that our boy Is coarse in speech,
or manifests an unusual spirit of re
belliOn at school regulations, still we
do not often associate these acts with
such a good fellow, always ready
for fun" But if we occasionally
saw this good fellow, ''then, indeed,
the cause would not be far to seek.
Our boy himself would feel ashamed
of his acquaintance, if he saw him in
the home circle he would suddenly
discover that his friend was not
ashamed that he talked to mother
with his hat on. These boys of ours
are apt to be very Chivalrous about
mother; and, besides, they do not
often care for companions of whom
they are ashamed.
l N heard a mother say to her
son Harry, [ wonder at you, to be
seen on the street with that Brown
boy. Why, he is dressed like a beg
gar -
Now 1, too, had seen Harry and
the Brown boy" and while the
boys clothes were worn and old.
they were whole and clean; he was
clean, too, and l knew him to be an
upright, manly lad, more so indeed,
than Harry was, or was ever likely
to be, with such training. Provided
ii boy is truthful, clean and careful
in his language, we should not let the
pecuniary circumstances of his con-
ditiou enter into consideration, for
our desire is to build up a noble
manhood in our boy and how despi-
cable a creature is that man who es-
teens his friends according to the
length of their purses.
There is only one way of Judging
our boys companions, and that is by
knowing them ourselves. This we
can do by encouraging him to invite
his friends to visit him, not always