The Elbert County tribune., 1904-01-21
A Boys Environment.

There is certainly a radical differ
ence between girls and boys in their
ideals and codes OF manners. Some
claim that II is physiological. a mani
festation OF sex which in some mystic
rious way gives direction to the mind.
Others attribute 1t wholly to associa-
ton. boys holding tenaciously to stand
ards handed down to them by older
brothers. Boys unquestionably are
more democratic than girls and. hav.
ing set up certain standards, demand
conformity to them.
Dress brings out In a very striking
way the difference between boys, as a
class. and girls. No normal boy wants
to differ materially in his dress from
mis- fellows, to be dressed better or
worse than the rest or to be made con
spicuous In any way by his clothes. for
he knows he Will be the sport OF his
companions IL he defes their cauons
of taste. Girls, on the other hand. are
always striving to outdo each other.
and glory In being made conspicuous
by their finery.
A mother who spends her summers
in country town and her winters In
large city described the effect of the
two environments on the manners of
her own eight-year-old son.
Last winter" said she, Il was much
gratifled to see the care that Freddy
took of his personal appearance. We
were then living with relatives with
whom dinner was quite ceremoni-
Gus function. | never had TO urge
Freddy TO prepare for it, OF his own
volition he carefully washed his face
and hands. brushed his hair and
donned the velvet dinner coat I had
provided for him. When | returned to
the country, to my great dismay. all
that love of neatness and good clothes
appeared to fall from him ike gar
ment. finally took him to task for
his wild indian looks and ways. He
stoutly maintained by way OF defense
that 1t was necessary: that II he
looked and behaved as he had done in
the city the boys would all call him
city Jay and from the humiliation OF
that taunt his spirit shrank."
That boy was simply adapting him.
self to his environment. trying when
The very susceptibility of boys,
their disposition to yield to the stand
ards OF the society into which they
are thrown, makes the question of en-
vironment very important and some.
times very perplexing one to par
ents. The providing OF good en-
yironment is the greatest duty a par.
ent owes to n child and how tn do n
in a community where the society is
very much mixed, and dominated by
the irresponsible. have-a-good- time
while-yourre-young sort, is a great
problem. Some parents manage to do
1t without isolating their boys or
making prigs Of them and at the same
time they accomplish a great work for
the communities In which they live.
Young people demand society. and II
they can not get good society they
Will take the substitute offered them.
Probably many fathers and mothers
who are readers of this paper have
had to wrestle with this question. We
wish some OF them would give us their
experience, tell us the difficulties with
which they have had TO contend, and
how they overcame or were defeated
by them. Good society. 1t should be
understood, is not a matter of dainty
manners. 1t stands for something
higher and broader; for clean, honest
living and his- ideals as opposed to
vicious practices and low ideals. Let
us hear from the fathers anr mothers.