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Trying To Be A Man

Trying To Be A Man image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
November
Year
1865
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

F rom Moore'a Rural New-Yorker. As I was going along the street the ■other day, I met a litte fellow, of about tourteen years of age, wearing a silk bat and oarrying a cañe. Hls hat was such as men wear, and of the latest style, and Lis cane was one of thoso dandyfied aflairs which are carried as orna ïents by "children of a larger growth." He waa a bright-eyed, rosy-eheeked boy, pleasant to look at and no doubt pleasaut to know ; but it was very oomical to see the grave air and me;isured gait he kept up, as though he wns beDt on forcing the public into believing that he was really a man. Why it was about as far from the rim of bis bat to its crovvn as it was from bis head to his Wüist : and instead of appearing digniSed, he only put you in mind of Torn Thumb in fuü dress. As he utrutted along the strcet, men and women turned around smilingly to 'ook after him, and he seemed to be the occasion of do small aiiiusetnent on thu part of those ragged urchings who carry "the papers" and run on errands. It is a very common wish amoDg boys to become men ; and a very proper dösire it is too, vvhen they have correct notions of what it is to be a man. When they tbiuk, with the boy we have jtist described, that it consiste in throwing off the jacket and loóse cap, and putting on a long-tailed coat and high hat, wby it is a very fooïish symptom. Some boys even go further thau the one we have named, and think it is manly to smoke cigars, and cbew tobáceo, and uso those horrible words whinh we sometimes hear loafers indulge in. Bnt do boys ever think, I wonder, that a grown-up butaan being tnay wear fine clothes, and may look quite like a great, strong fellow, and yet not be a man, in ny good sense of that term ? If' such a person has vices and degraded habits, he is no more a man, than a boy is a " feliow" atnong bis playmatee, if he is selfish and quarrelsome. What is it then to be a man, and what 8hould boys imitate in men ? Why, it is manly to be bravo in time of danger. It i manly to be respectful to your superiors, reverential to the aged, generous to 3rour equals, kind to your inferiors, charitable to the poor, forbearing with your associates It is manly, ako, to honor God and obey your pareuts. Imitate men - good men, in these things, my dear young. friends, and you will be niauly, no matter what kind of clothes you wear.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus