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first, you should know this John Gadsby; a man of "around fifty;" a

family man, and known throughout Branton Hills for his high standard of

honor and altruism on any kind of an occasion for public good. A loyal

churchman, Gadsby was a man who, though admitting that an occasional

fault in our daily acts is bound to occur, had taught his two boys and

a pair of girls that, though folks do slip from what Scriptural authors

call that "straight and narrow path," it will not pay to risk your own

Soul by slipping, just so that you can laugh at your ability in staying

out of prison; for Gadsby, having grown up in Branton Hills, could

point to many such man or woman. So, with such firm convictions in his

mind, this upstanding man was constantly striving so to act that no

complaint from man, woman or child should bring a word of disapproval.

In his mind, what a man might do was that man's affair only and could

stain no Soul but his own. And his altruism taught that it is not

difficult to find many ways in which to bring joy to such as cannot,

through physical disability, go out to look for it; and that only a

small bit of joy, brought to a shut-in invalid will carry with it such

a warmth as can flow only from acts of human sympathy.

For many days Gadsby had thought of ways in which folks with a goodly

bank account could aid in building up this rapidly backsliding town of

Branton Hills. But, how to show that class what a contribution could

do? In this town, full of capitalists and philanthropists contributing,

off and on, for shipping warming pans to Zulus, Gadsby saw a solution.

In whom? Why, in just that bunch of bright, happy school kids, back

from many a visit to a _city_, and noting its ability in improving its

living conditions. So Gadsby thought of thus carrying an inkling to

such capitalists as to how this stagnating town could claim a big spot

upon our national map, which is now shown only in small, insignificant

print.

As a start, Branton Hills' "Daily Post" would carry a long story,

outlining a list of factors for improving conditions. This it did; but

it will always stay as a blot upon high minds and proud blood that not

a man or woman amongst such capitalists saw, in his plan, any call for

dormant funds. But did that stop Gadsby? Can you stop a rising wind?

Hardly! So Gadsby took into council about forty boys of his vicinity

and built up an Organization of Youth. Also about as many girls who had

known what it is, compulsorily to pass up many a picnic, or various

forms of sport, through a lack of public park land. So this strong,

vigorous combination of both youth and untiring activity, avidly took

up Gadsby's plan; for nothing so stirs up a youthful mind as an

opportunity for accomplishing anything that adults cannot do. And did

Gadsby _know_ Youth? I'll say so! His two sons and girls, now in High

or Grammar school, had taught him a thing or two; principal amongst

which was that all-dominating fact that, at a not too far distant day,

our young folks will occupy important vocational and also political

positions, and will look back upon this, _our_ day; smiling kindly at

our way of doing things. So, to say that many a Branton Hills "King of

Capital" got a bit huffy as a High School stripling was proving how

stubborn a rich man is if his dollars don't aid so vast an opportunity

for doing good, would put it mildly! Such downright _gall_ by a

half-grown kid to inform _him_; an outstanding light on Branton Hills'

tax list, that this town was sliding down hill; and would soon land

in an abyss of national oblivion! And our Organization girls! _How_

Branton Hills' rich old widows and plump matrons did sniff in disdain

as a group of High School pupils brought forth straightforward claims

that cash paving a road, is doing good practical work, but, in filling

up a strong box, is worth nothing to our town.

Oh, that class of nabobs! How thoroughly Gadsby _did_ know its

parsimony!! And how thoroughly did this hard-planning man know just

what a constant onslaught by Youth could do. So, in about a month, his

"Organization" had "waylaid," so to say, practically half of Branton

Hills' cash kings; and had so won out, through that commonly known

"pull" upon an adult by a child asking for what plainly is worthy,

that his mail brought not only cash, but two rich landlords put at his

disposal, tracts of land "for any form of occupancy which can, in any

way, aid our town." This land Gadsby's Organization promptly put into

growing farm products for gratis distribution to Branton Hills' poor;

and that burning craving of Youth for activity soon had it sprouting

corn, squash, potato, onion and asparagus crops; and, to "doll it up a

bit," put in a patch of blossoming plants.

Naturally any man is happy at a satisfactory culmination of his plans

and so, as Gadsby found that public philanthropy was but an affair

of plain, ordinary approach, it did not call for much brain work to

find that, possibly also, a way might turn up for putting handicraft

instruction in Branton Hills' schools; for schooling, according to

him, did not consist only of books and black-boards. Hands also should

know how to construct various practical things in woodwork, plumbing,

blacksmithing, masonry, and so forth; with thorough instruction

in sanitation, and that most important of all youthful activity,

gymnastics. For girls such a school could instruct in cooking, suit

making, hat making, fancy work, art and loom-work; in fact, about any

handicraft that a girl might wish to study, and which is not in our

standard school curriculum. But as Gadsby thought of such a school,

no way for backing it financially was in sight. Town funds naturally,

should carry it along; but town funds and Town Councils do not always

form what you might call synonymous words. So it was compulsory that

cash should actually "drop into his lap," via a continuation of

solicitations by his now grandly functioning Organization of Youth.

So, out again trod that bunch of bright, happy kids, putting forth

such plain, straightforward facts as to what Manual Training would

do for Branton Hills, that many saw it in that light. But you will

always find a group, or individual complaining that such things would

"automatically dawn" on boys and girls without any training. Old Bill

Simpkins was loud in his antagonism to what was a "crazy plan to dip

into our town funds just to allow boys to saw up good wood, and girls

to burn up good flour, trying to cook biscuits." Kids, according to