A Place For The Boys

Does it no. seeiu as if, iu souie houses, there ia aetually uo plaee tor the boys ï We do nut meau the Uttle boys - thero is always room tor them ; they ure potted and caresed; there is :i plce lor ihem on pupa s kneu aud at mamma's footsioo!, if uoi iu lier anus; there are loving words, and many - ofteu too u-auy - iu dulgeuces. liut the ciass we speak of uow are the sehool-boys - great, noiey, rotnpiijg fellows, w ho'iread on your dress aud upsot youl' wori;-baskel, aud stand iu yo.ur light, aud whistle, aud drum, and shout, aud ask (jviestiaus, and coutradict. iSo what is to be done with them 'i Do they not want to be lov;d aud cher ïslied uow as dearly as they were iu tliut weil remembered time wlieu tkey wero the titile oues, aud were iudulged, petted, aud caressed 'Í But they ure so uoisy, and they wcar out the carpet with their thiek boois, aud it is so quiet whüii tliey are goue, says tbe tired mothor, aad tlie nstidiooi sister, aud the uervous auut; "anythnig tor peaee' sake," and away go the boys to ' loaf ' on Street coruei 8, aud listeu to tha prufane aud eoarse language Of wieiied men, or to the uusafe ice, or to the raüroad Btatmu, or wliarvea, or the comiuou piaee of reudezvoua of those who havo nothuig in do or uo place to stay. Uut it is argued that thero are t'ew boys who cai'e to Btay ia the kouse alter aoiiool, and it is buttor they siiould play iu the open air - all of whicu is true. VV e argue fur those dull dayg, aud sturtuy days, aud evcuings - all nvuitiugs iu whi'jh liiey wish tu stuy iu or ought to be kept iu, -üey make tnemselves aud everybody else uuuomfurtable. We protest ugaiiist tüe usage of those houiea wheru the uiuther is busy w.th hur sewiug or her baby and the tather is absorbed wnh the newspaper winch he never reads aloud, and the boys must til still aud not make a uoise, or go iminediately to bed. They hear the merry roiee of o hor boy iu the street, and loug to be with them ; home is a dull place; we wiü soon be a little older and theu, say tüey, ''we will go out aud see tor ou.: seives what there is outside whieh we are forbiddeu to eujoy." We protest against the u.sagea of' tuose homes where the boys are drueu out beeause their prusence is uuwelcoiue aud theu BOoldud when they come iu, .or checked, hushed and restraiued at erery outburist ot uierrimcut.