The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1874-01-22
Teachers Department.
How Snail we Educate Our
Boys?
BY NELL VAN.


(ASceae IN quiet sittiag-roona-H,ls-
band reading a newspaper Wife
se'0i'g By eeeni'ag lamp
HUsBAND.-CLaying doace has pa
perl Well, wife, ,itis about time we took
Arthur out of school and put him to
trade.
WTE-Why, Mr.. B., do you real
ly intend making a mechanic of our
boy?
HUs--Certainly. How can you
object to giving him the opportunity
of becoming a healthy and useful
citizen?
WFE-By giving him a profession
cannot he become useful as q doctor
IN saving life; as lawyer in dispens-
ing Justice; as minister in guarding
the morals of his peoples 1t would
be SO fine to see him in the pulpit,
he has such lovely eyes and beautiful
teeth.
HUs.-We must not forget that
the boy should be consulted in the
choice of a profession. But there's
time enough for that by and by.
Now he is past sixteen. A spindling
youth with no muscle, owing to this
forcing system adopted in the schools
of today, which develops brain at the
expense of muscle. He is well along
in his studies, and needs little hard
work with his hands to make him
thoroughly digest what be has learn
ed, by turning it to some practical
account.
WIFE.-Can't he go to the gymnas-
ium and acquire muscular strength?
HUs.-Yes, and waste valuable
time and vital force. My idea is to
have him acquire industrious habits
before entering college; to learn to
use what the brain thinksou Theory
is good, but better when put in prae-
tice.
WRE.-The idea of "a child of mine
becoming eommonmechanicl What
VII people say knowing our circum-
stances and that we are not obliged
tc give the boy trade?
HUs.-The very reason why we
should be brave enough to combat
public opinion and prejudice, when it
is to our children's highest good.
Look at our most influential men.
They are those who have been forced
by necessity to help themselves ear
ly in life. The most responsible po-
sitions are filed by what are called
sef-made 1nen. Why not teach all
to become self-supporting before cir
eumstances compel them to be so?
1 believe people are beginning to
open their eyes to the fact that in
dustrious men are those who are ear
ly taught to use their hands and
muscle along with their brains.
WTE.-Our boy a mechanicI I
think 1 see him going along with
! boards on his shoulder and heavy
tool-box in his hand, or sitting cross
legged on a tailors table, mending
clothes, or a miserable tinker with q
solder iron and stove, going about
crying "Tins to mend"
HUs.-Remember, my dear, that
our President, Gen. Grant, was only
a tanner. Brown, q candidate for
Vice President, was q shoemaker.
Andy johnson was a tailor, and the
amented Lineoln's early life was
spent in developing muscle by split
ting rails. What would these men
have become if carefully shielded by
unwise parents? 1t is the height OF
my ambition for Arthur to become a
mechanic and earn the money to car
ry him through college during vaea-
TONS. Then he Will appreciate his
advantages and can choose between
a trade and a profession for his life
work.
WIFE-Oh n-sery!-what hobby
fer q sensible man In comfortable
circumstances.
HUs.-Force young mans brain
and he grows in but one direction.
There's Greeley, a man of brains.
What he knew about farming was
more a digest of others experiences
ttan his own.
W1FE--I can never consent to Ar
thurs learning a trade if you talk till
doom s-day, Mr.. B., so let us say no
more.
HUs.-Well, tomorrow you'll think
better of it, my dear, and will per-
haps agree with me that it never
hurts man for profession to first
become an industrious mechanic.
The EiutyV Of Nature.