Colonial Morality.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 34, 6 July 1870, Page 6

Colonial Morality.

—o—{Peripatetic Philosopher , in the Australasian.] There has been a burst of morality about the dancing halls of Melbourne. It has been said that soma balf-do»en places, morp or less dirty, are nightly crowded by the rising generation ; that our youth are being morally and physically corrupted ; and that instead of our colonial boy playing the cheerful game of forfeits or cat’s cradle with his sisters, he must stick a cigar in his mouth and lavish his threepenny pieces at hotel-bars. Tins is, to a great extent, true. The home of the colonial boy is, I should think, about the stupidest place in the world. It is about six feet square. His father is asleep on the sofa, his mother is mending stockings, his sisters are talking over that “ nice young man Maria Ann met with at the Cookson’s.” “ What, ’im ? Lor’ bless me, yer don’t say so, Sarah Jane ! Upon my word—ho, he, he ! ha, ha, ha! Nol—did he 1 Really, though I Well, I never ! Giggle, iggle, iggle ! He, he, he !’’ all of which is not interesting. He doesn't read, and his father won’t let him smoke ; so out he goes “to the office,” and dirtily dissipates, I, am afraid that the fault lies with the “ homo,” nob the youth. His father is tired out, his mother is not conversible, and his sisters are giggling, empty headed beings, who have no idea beyond “ that nice young man, he, he, he !” Sio what is a poor fellow to do 1 He is a beast and a cad and a contemptible person, doubtless ; but he must have some employment. After all, unless a boy is a fool, I don’t think a little wholesome vice does him any harm. If he returns to his wallowing in the mire, depend upon it he is not worth picking out. The mystery and horror with which casinos and night-houses are spoken of makes lads go to them. “ Just as the twig is beat the tree’s inclined,” only when you let the twig go, the more you have bent it the higher it springs. If you ever see a notorious rake-—a regular “ bad hat,” a very negro among black sheep —make enquiries, and in nine cases out of ten you will find him a clergyman’s son.