The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-06-16
A Parable on Boys.

luS 1OllOWIuS I11CC al LlNlo W oo VIII
ten by Editor Ernest Camp in the
Walton Tribune:
"Verily in this day and generation,
the father raiseth up his son on the
streets and sidewalks. He layeth
around the soda founts and imbibeth
slop and hookworns. He groweth in
knowledge of nothing save cigarettes
and cuss words.
"When he attaineth the age of 16,
he acquireth a suit of clothes turned
up at the bottom two furlongs above
his feet He displayeth pair of noisy
sox, with purple background and viol-
cts to TIE frc1,. He weareth loW-cut
shoes and a green tie. He looketh
like a banana merchant on the streets
of Cairo.
"The inside of his head resembles
the inside, of pumpkin.
He falleth in love with spindle
shanked girl with pink ribbons in her
hair, and he craveth for an automo-
bile that he may ride her forth in the
>springtime. He thinketh work is in
full. He scattereth his mothers pin
money like cyclone scattereth a rail
fence. He sitteth up at night to write
poetry, and giveth no thought to the
multiplication table. His mind turneth
to the vanities of life, and not to the
high cost of cornbread.
Verify, verify! he needeth board
applied vigorously to the southwest
corner of the anatomy.
HE thinketh his father e plodder
and his mother a back number. He
pictureth to himself great riches sud-
denly acquired. He dreameth Of steam
yachts and private cars.
Eyes, he thinketh himself the real
stuff, He butteth in where he is not
wanted; he criticiseth his elders; he
purchaseth cheap perfume and smell
eth louder than a billy goat.
when he groweth up he getteth a
job as clerk in a store at $1.00 day
and swipeth extra from his boss until
he is caught"
The train of thought which came to
my mind was that in this age of mad
rush for wealth, parents, especially the
fathers, are inclined to leave their
children too much to grow up. They
scarcely have>t time to become acquaint-
ed with their own families. And then
when the old folks get rich and
should be able to spend their declin-
ing years in quiet and peace, and en-
Joy the fruit of their labor, they are
worried about the Worthlessness of
their children. About all they have
learned is how to spend what the old
folks have spent Life time in accumu-
lating, and they generally do it in
much less time. Had you ever
thought of that?. Well, then you had
better stop and think. Better give
your boys. some sort Of honorable
employment, it matters net how able
you may be to let them travel the
streets. The raising Of boy is a
great problem. In fact, I believe it
was Dr.. Snyder who told the people
Of Newberry in his admirable address
in the opera house short time ago,
that there we're many and intricate
problems to be solved in this age, and
one of the greatest, especially in the
towns and cities, is the raising Of a
boy. Boys, take the advice Of an old
countryman and stay off the street,
and find something to do, and do it
just as if the turning Of the earth on
it's axis depended upon your doing
that very thing.
That reminds me again, that there
is nothing so noble, nothing so great
or so grand, as truth. Always speak
the truth It pays. It will pay you.
Besides it is right. It is an asset
which will stand you good many a.
time Be honest. It is an old virtue,
and I had almost said, a rare virtue
in this age But I am not going to
try to preach a sermon, though I feel
very much like it at this time. And I
feel that it IS necessary for some
body 10 do some plain and straight
1ro9ching of the good MD doctrine