Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-11-19
A Small, Weakly Boy, Eighteen, and in
School all his life, Wishes to Learn an
Easy Trade.

Ma. COVER My son--now
eighteen, but small of his age and
weakly, though an excellent schalar,
having gone to school ali bis life,
since five years old, wishes 10 learn
some easy trade. He thinks he
would like the printing. Can you
give him a chance? Not particular
as to terms l am willing to pay his
way, partly at least.
REMARKs.-The above is copied |
substantially from a letter received |
lately from wealthy citizen of
neighboring town. The son has been |
about ruined by easy treatment and |
over schooling We returned the
following answer:
"Were in need Of one to learn the
printing your son would not suit, for
these reasons: He has been over
schooled and under worked and
therefore his head and body are not
balanced. He would fail for want of
physical and vital developement.-
And, having, perhaps, an excess of
head enlargement, he must surely
finish the trade prematurcly-just as
you have finished him up premature
" for man. A boy is a boy and
ought to be so reckoned till 20 or up
ward. Possibly you may yet make
something of your son by putting
L =. no ,,.lr
machine shop; the carpen.ering
and blacksmithing are first rate
tr ldes for developing the muscular
powers. The printing is insufficient
for physical Development, and is
Is adared for boys Of great ma
tural vitality and muscular power
These weakly boys, in school from
five to eighteen, fail at the printing,
in fact generally fail for life at any.
thing useful. They soon take to to-
bacco, drink and foul company, being
schooIed out Of balance in head and
stomach. The country is full of just
sRch, none of them fit for any useful
work. Some Of them fasten on the
professions and try to be doctors,
preachers, pedagogues and lawyers,
but are only 8 disgrace to their calls
ings. Others take to bells provided
by Satan's agents.
God has made all with hands and
heads, and made this law applicable
to all men: thou shalt earn thy bread
bu the sUeat of thy broU the meaning
of which is, that all shall live by or
derby industry, such as this practice
of over-schooling forbids-inasmuch
as the keeping of a boy at school
from Eve to eighteen units him for
any future industrial pursuit.
The head and hands must be about
equally balanced by mental school
ing and physical labor. 1t will not
do 10 exercise the head and leave the
hands idle or at play, as the like
would cause the mind to grow and
the body to weaken, presently, both
to slumber. Nor, can the hands be
trusted with full exercise and the
head with idle habits, for this would
breed mental stupidity. You see
many slumbering heads, many stupiC
bodies, all for want of balancing be-
tween five and eighteen.
And now o word to the younger
boys, in view of their future Start
them to school at seven, and when
they learn to read keep them home
at work till fourteen then school
them two years when they will be
fitted TO enter the preparatory col
lege. Two more years Of orderly
industry will insure them sound
physical body, limb and mind, and
then in four years, from eighteen to
TWEEN y-two, graduate them at coll
lege without fears as TO health. AS
we'll at seventeen or better to put
your boys TO trades-only because in
the mechanic branches, labor is more
systematic than at farming.
We have blocked out rudely q sure
method Of making a man out of a
boy-a work but seldom accomplish,
cd these times. Some boys are not
adapted for learning, and very soon
come to dread Of books and school.
They resort to shifts and evasions to
avoid all that pertains to the school.
In such eases TO insist upon their go
ing To school is crime. They will
compromise. however. by going To
work at some trade. Let them have
their way This once it insures az
least one man il the family that will
amount to something useful.
W ask farther discussion OF these
matters IN the Herald. Reader, what
are your views?