Country Boys And City Boys

A correspondent wants to know why it is tliat the proportion of country boys in the United States who succeed in life is much greater than that of city boys, who seem to have many advantages over their rural brothers. There is no way of determining whetlier the statement made by our correspondent ia well founded, tbough ie unaouDieuiy aeuoius wiuu me Viv vailing inipression. ïhere are abundant reasous, liowever, wby tlie successiul men who were couniry-bred should even in cities outnumber the suecessfu men who were of city birth. "The country," as distinguished from the city' population, eveu now embraces considerably more than the nmjority of the people in the United States, but the difference iit favor of the country was relatively much greater as the country was more sparsely settled. Great cities are of recent growth in the United States. Thirty years ago there were but nine citieï in the Union with a population of 50,000 or upward each. In 1860 there were but 16. In 1880 there were 35. The men lio were boys in 1850 are eomparatively young yet, and the cities which have since arisen to magnitude necessaiily drew larcrely upon the country for the blood and energy whioh have uade theui whatthey are. VVhile it is thereí'ore true tbat a majoiily of our successful men were country boys, it is not neeesharily 1rue that the proportion ia any larger, although tliia may be the case. Respecting the intiiuation of our correspondent that city boys bave an advantage over country boya, vve think that il a balance were struck it would be found to be largely in favor of the country boy. He may not have the the polish of the city youtb, nor be as well versed in the ways of tho bustling city; but he has characteristicu vhich abuudantly make up for these defl 'iencif3. He is taught, for example, almo.st frotn üs infancy the lesson of self-hélp. Ilis skill and ingcnuity are taxod in a multitude of ways. That quaiity wliich New England people so happily cali "faculty" is developed. The boy is indoctrinated with habita of thrift and industry. If one thinks for a moment of the variety of farm work, he will also be prepared to concede that the country boy, awkward though he may seem in compari&on with his city cousin, has many and varied accomplisliments. He is early fttmiliar with the care andjuanageraent of horses and cattle, learns much of tools and how to use them, ia often compelled unaided toface and overeóme difflculties and emergencies, and thia breeds within him a, stnrdy, resolute spint, vvnon ue auams mannoou, ms fortune is aasuved if he remains in the country; wliile if, smitten Wlth the. city fever, he tries bis fortunes there, he has at least a good solid foundation upon which to buiiil. With city boys there ia altogether too much hot-house lile. Many of thum are dwarfed and stuntftd from their birth. ïhey are coddleü and indulged. ïoo many of them are brought up with false notions of what is honorable and manly. Their parents are fastidióos, without being sensible, in the choice of occupations for them, and they are in consequence handicapped through life, They liave, perhaps, a greater variety of pleasures üian country b.ys but there are rnany manly exerciseB from which, from numerous causes, most of them are debarred. Tlms, every try boy, almost as íi matter of conree, lean to swira, liunt, anti break i horse; while the larger the city is the fewer relatively tho number of boys who can do aDy or all of these things. These may seem insigniflcant accornplishments, yet each involves a physical and mental training which can not fail to be beneñcial in af ter life. Country boys also possess a marked advantago over city boys in the lack of the temptations which surround the latter. There is inünitely less danger of their attaining young manhood vvith their mental and moral powers imder mined, and with wrong or feeble impulses. Living as they do, too, so much in the orjen air, they gain a physical health and vigor of coastitution which are not only inestimable blessings in themselves, but ailmirably fit theru for the battle of lif e. On the whole, therefore, whether country boys do or do not succeed in lif e better than city boys, tb ere is no reason why theformer should repine or be discontented with their lot. _ ' ) ;