The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
A Common PerplezIty;

Thirty odd years ago, says ~.
tiay, U1iior. a mother living -
ENGLAND village wrote to JACOB srssese'
then living in New York Catfs i01 N2ss's7
sci Her ease was a very common oas.
She had a son. a bright, active pgs ss''9
was fond of play, and was ne. a'.s.sA i'.'l, -
study. She did not like to SEM IL ~ 81
his tender ace, to the viilsgc ss1ies'is
which was probably neither pesssl s.V5
worse than the average NeN. ~
school. in which some good can s,'s - :
he learned and considerable efit !. y -
nicked up. She was afraid to pnasl.,sks
the apparentiv onerous task Of ts@eiiisg
him herself. She was afraid te lee ana
spend his time in plav with chapss =.
panions upon the street. In W .sf
plexitv she wrote to Mr.. jacob App0tk
then perhaps as widely known IS lev y,
for he was in the midst OF ls tis' 81
work as Il writer and teacher seo
ceived the following reply 4 liz feli ~ ~
has come INTO the hap.is x - ~
I Unfon recently, and with tfffs ffs1Fe
acknowledgement TO the friend ofFtEB
Christian Union, and of the mothers.
who has sent it to us. we print it here;
with such notifications onlg as are neces-
sary to avoid all purely personal allu-
sions. We are glad thus to aid to oui
editorial utterance this voice from th'
sacred past:
"NEw YORK, -, 1851.
'sAfy Dear Mrs. -:
II was not until yesterday that re
ceived your letter of the 11th July
was very glad to hear from YOU, and
wish very much that could see and tall
with you for an hour or two upon th
subject upon which you wrote. In fad
it is absolutely necessary that I shoul
have a far more perfect acquaintanc
with the facts in the case than it is po
sible to communicate in writing in ord9
to be qualified to form an opinion 1
regard to what is best 10 be done.
a have son who is about the san
age as yours. He is under the oharl
of his aunt. My instructions to her d
and have been for some years-th
/ she should confine her pupil for u
hours each day TO some solitary study
! nature not agreeable, to accustom hi
! to patient, Independent effort in the f
! fillment of a task. The remainder
the day he has for play, butts to be Ike
4 out of the streets. These rules are pls
and simple. and they are not oneroi
and they are to be uniformly and inflt
iblv enforced The plan seems
/ answer well. The studies of the boy
| reading, writing and simple arithmet
| and in all of them he seems to me to
| in advance of other boys of his age, wi
spend six hours in school daily.
/ Were | in your case, / should, unle
there were in my physical health son
absolute and memorable difficulty IND
pacitating me from it, pursue the san
course. | should at nine o clock evel
morning give my boy some plain, simp
and straightforward work, of readin
aloud. writing, or "doing sums enoug
to last him two hours, aud gentl
but firmly insist on. his doing iteyer
dav. The remainder of the day shouh
let him have for play, being Wit iiim a
much as possible, and taking ;ihiieres
in all his plans and pursuits. should
keep him out of the streets a. 4 shoald
nialSs. 49, me and alIls
good boy of any subject WHITES e .
/ IF my health were such that 81
5 like this We're out of the question sheh
r consider the school the next best ph
| unless the street influences of -
( are very different from those OF Nc
; other places.
DO not consider your boys love
play and dislike to study ANYTHING /
favorable. His taste in these respects
an evidence of health, and his op
avowal of them sign of his franknt
, and honesty. | tell my boy that he ne
not trouble himself about irving To Ii
> study; if he viii only like play that
! all ask of him. | will see thar he do
all the necessary study without liking
, but if he should show any symptoms
/ not Gkins play / should at once
alarmed aad send for the doctor.
, Your boys not liking to read, VIII
, still he likes to hear reading, is owl
obviously to the fact that he has not re:
, enough to read with ease and pleasur
I Require him to read two half hours
| day aloud to you and YOU VIII soon fl
that he viii like TO read any book that
would like to hear
, Yours sincerely,
II JACOB ABBOTT"