Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, MAY 2 1890. The Little Lonely Boy.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 2 May 1890, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, MAY 2 1890. The Little Lonely Boy.

The Coloniul small boy has been singularly bleat with health and strength and most robust spirits, , nnd nothing acts so muoh agaiust his desires, as to be compelled to remain quiet for aboye a ww xnitmtej

&t & thfte. l A ke result of this activity is to find the young seHi-p abroad in the town of an evening, ajd from force of bad giacople. picking up lessons ill eVil doing and speaking. lii etfery town in the Oolony crowdd of boys will be noticed on the sidewalks, leaning against the clo3ed shops, smoking ill-smell-ing cigarettes and using unpleasant words, the disgustiness of which for tunat'-ly they do not understand, and by unthinking people they are branded as larrikins. • ortuna ely in this Colony the larrikins of Australia are unknown, but it was probable the outcome of habits and as - sociates similar to the start now being made here. Have we, the parents and representatives of the district any right to brand these children with such a name, and refuse to lend one hand's turn to prevent them sinking into boing indeed and speech the larrikin of Oder colonies ? To understand why a . number of lads are out of a night instead of being under their parent's eye, it has only to be imagined what their homes are probably like. To all it has not been given to receive an equal share of this world's goods, and very often a large family and a small house may be found combined. That the country is luckly enough to have her children growing in vigour perhaps accounts for the necessity of their being placed on the outside of the house whilst the younger ohildren are being got to uieeep on the inside. We can readily imagine the difficulty occur ing of keeping psace by any less summary method. Of course the parents are to blame, they should suit their families to the size of the homes they have to put them in, but then our cjergy will cou ; radict us in this statement, and so the houses get smaller as the faaii'y gets larger. Tue father aft r a hard day's work wants sonic little time to himself, perhaps he has his hands ful in rocking one of the bahies to sleep, how then can he loo!, after the out a de. We earnestly regret the objectionable habit these little lads are getting into, but feel bound to take their part until some action is taken to show them thit their con* duct is blameaole and harmful to themselves. No one likes to take the part of mentor but still* it has to be to done, and it has been always a matter of surprise to us, that not a aing c Minister of any denomina'ion, in this town, has ever made the fain est effort to reduce the evil. We think that any earnest person will discover when looking mo the cause and the effect, that the children meet in the stree s, because, they are not wante I in their homes; anil that the need a mutual meeting place for friends of their own ago. The public streets are not ad pted for this puipose, as it is there impos sible to prevent the addition of ob jectionab t characters, »nd that the scenes and language used by their elders is not to their advantage to have either eei-n or heard If all the.se lads attended unday school regularly, yet every week day wou d find them in their accustomed haimt. IJnf rtuuately the lergymen that we have met in this district do not seem to " catch on" with the juvenile feelings, and they seem to tli ink their duty commences on Sunday morning and ends on Sunday evening. Very probably they urge in reply to these remarks that the dis trict is so large that they have but a limited time to give to each parti, cul ar centre, but even if it be so, they must admit that publicly thay hare never made the last effort to supp'y for hes • boys an a tentative from the streets f>r a place of meeting. For grown up persons the Free Public LiDrary is lighted aod warmed, why do not the boys go there ? We rather expect it is be* cause the I oys are not induced to enter therein, and from no one tak* ing an interest in them, and attending in turns at the Library to keep order, they therefore become riotous, and are removtd hy the older habitues. It becomes evident that if the boys cannot be at home, cannot be allowed in the streets, some other place must be found for them. If anything is done, it must be proper done, and any meeting place, and any amusements provided, muet be regularly super intended hy suitable elderly persons, otherwise the remedy wou'd he as bad as the evil. We cannot sco muck difficulty in both providing amusement, instruction and supervision, if those who are so ready to d ccl. dm against the boys, would be equally ready to assist them. Whatever hns be<>n done in this town in the way of assistance and amusements, has always been for those who were big enough and a great deal more capable of subscrib* ing for their own amusements, than these little boys are, and we think that to reverse the positions wo uid be of an advantage to all Before anything cou d actualy be decided on, it would be well if our thought* ful citizens would endeavour to ose rtain, by evening rambles, ho-* many lads are about of an evening, j nud what their names are, not by directly questioning but by quietly finding out one of the party-, and next day learn from him who his jriends Were that he was with, (ttie ima' I boy without care is taken, is likely tobe much frightened, as ,he u" doubtedly has heard the un •nomploraentary remarks pawed on

■ „ , , *--*y»*-^»»M^Mir-«M»__»_M--M^«*»*»r-_____________w« His behaviour and might fear aggressive measures were about to be taken against him. It would be far better that the boys were on the street thah if they tfefe frightened away fom public sight, unless df course it was to their own homes. We however believe that the trouble lies chiefly in the health and spirita of the culprits, which if kindly and judicious y trained would devel<«pe useful forms, and we rhould much like a true earnest effort made to clear the str* ets by offering a pleasaner spot for "our boys" to pass their evenings in. Who will help ? ' •*■■___■■■___■__----■-■■_■