The Washington herald., 1913-01-04
BOYS THINK SWEARING
A MANLY OCCUPATION
Because They Hear Their Fathers and
Big Brothers Indulge in
Profanity.
By FRANCES sHAFFER.

the established order of things. whereby
woman must early learn the lesson OF re-
Preston. of conventionality. and the long
creed embodied In tradition. etiquette,
ard that comprehensive expression.
''voman's sphere
But, after all, there are worse things.
One would sometimes think that the re-
flights that lead to Bohemia. covets the
license-pardon me-of profanity and in
general desires to retrograde to the level
OF mans liberty rather than advance to
clearer heights than even the best OF us
occupy.
Naturally, we have theories about life,
visions OF the millennium, and all through
cur dreams runs the fine silver thread OF
equality but while we are waiting for
the day to dawn when higher standard
shall exist for men. suppose we share a
bit of the zeal we expend upon the grow
ins girl In our midst with her young
brother and try to lure him away from
some OF his false notions, the products
OF the ages.
Teach Boy to Guard His Tongue.
While We are teaching her to guard
well her tongue, why not let the lesson
sink deep into his heart until he sees
that the pure, clear atmosphere where
wholesome language fourishes and where
impious speech cannot abide, is morally
healthful, toning. and satisfying?
We are none too good ourselves, but
am right glad We haven't the license OF
profanity!
I recently heard a boy, attractive and
interesting. in the most fiippant manner
give expression to words that would
have come with wretched grace from
well-seasoned man, and the laugh that
echoed from his masculine auditors was
eloquent with the teaching of the CEN
turtles. II is scarcely the boys fault;
these false ideas Of what constitutes
manliness have held their own through
long ages, and while hands are raised
to the skies in pious horror IL a little
girl departs from the straight course of
pure language, a boy may or may not
be rebuked a bit and emerge from the
experience of giving utterance to his
first oath with a half notion that II Is
his initial bow to manhood.
II We are disposed to think there . is
any yoke about our necks Il seems to
me a matter of rejoicing rather than
otherwise. even when We most fondly
hope to place a similar restriction upon
man. And isn't it possible that mothers
might convince their sons of the beauty
OF pure. straightforward speech and
make that one standard alike for boys
and girls?
There is nothing sane or rational in
an oath: there is much that is disturb
ing. ugly. and offensive. Right well i
remember how my estimate of man
who had always challenged admiration
was revolutionized when mischance
brought a trail of words to me that
were meant for other cars.
Mother Not Always to Blame.
II is one of the things to deplore
a.. In, hrTr Gfp nm hnr
too often must contend against the evil
Influence of older members OF his own
sex; and while she may point the way
to the stars, somehow the boys ideal
of manhood reaches out until II gathers
in all the garbled ideas that he sees
exemplified in the grown folk about him.
There is something more 10 life than
Just food and clothing. and the father
owes to his family more than bread
winning: he owes the influence of noble
living; and he surely can extend the ad-
vantage OF daily talk untainted with pro-
family.
A manly man is a mighty fine. gra-
cious type for a boy TO watch. Mothers
do not want their sons to follow in their
own footsteps and grow womanly. but
they do not want them to follow false
standard of manliness: and boys natural
iy sravitate to the habits of their faith
ers and big brothers.
should .PIsy Fair"
We love to see a good. typical. all
around boy, and will, perforce. grant him
some of the freedom of the ages, which
he has come to regard as almost divine
ly implanted; but We think he should
play fair" and not offend the ears OF
the discriminating, fastidious world by
using language unseemly and unbecom-
ing And We also think when he has
grown to the dignity Of manhood he
should still bear in mind his early train
ing and continue to play fair" whether
his audience is mixed or confined to those
Of his own sex.
Mothers may plead. but IL father or big
brother swears-what an ugly word it Is!
the small boy will think it is tremen-
dously fine and ideal. and straightway
will proceed to weaken his little vocabu-
larry.
We distinctly do not want the license,
but we protest against its acceptance by
man and its adoption by his faithful i'm
itator, the small boy In his family.