The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-08-14
Strike Out or Sink

An old fashion among the village
or riverside boys when boy want
ed TO swim, but was afraid, was to
push him in beyond his depth.
What desperately high fun it was
to see him puff and splitter and
strike out bewilderly with the oars
that Nature had given him, but he
knew not how to use.
1t was a cruel thing to do. It was
cruel sport. It seemed like making
mock to shout to Tim to "keep his
mouth Shut or to Harry to "strike
out or to Joe to "kick out slower"
when the most he could do, if he
was able to do that was to keep his
head above water. The ordeal to
the boy always seemed like the
harsh tyranny Of the bully or the
boy that was too big to lick. 1t
subjected him to heroic discipline.
Wasn't commendableany more than
withdrawing or bcar-haiting, or
the hundred and one other cruel
practices that cling to our civiliza-
ton.
But what's TO be done? Seems
like an absolute need of boys
education Shall he stand and SILVER
essaying TO learn and fearful to try?
fl he could only have plank
pushed under him oralife prescrvcr
fastened onihim he'd BET safe as ifhe
were spreading himself on grass
green meadow. In other words give
the boy fair show, and he'll have
no trouble in learning to swim in
stead of sink.
Same in living as in swimming :
some learn to live-some don't.
There's the coddled boy He
never learns. Never has a chance
to. Aunt thinks he shouldn't mix
with the nasty other boys. Uncle
pats him on the head. tells him he's
the finest hoy of the generation.
Certainly knows as much us Dick
Bottles who used to be the smartest
fellow at college. by the way,
wonders how it is he has neverheard
of Dick since College, No doubt,
however, but nephew will make his
mark in the world. Then father
and mother toady to him, and yield
to him until he'll not put up with
anything else. And so henavigates
along through IL sea of sugar and
cream, until he passes out of the
years and the stream of coddling in.
to the deep sea of hard, practical
life where he has to kick out with,
out the coddling board. It's a mar
vel then, if he do not find lis pet
ting has fastened milestone rount
his neck.
There's the limp boy. His heat
seems a positive drawback to him
He thinks withoutaction; looks with
out seeing; hears without understand
ing. A bubble now and then at tn,
waters surface shows that he's alive
He eats, sleeps, breathes, lives.
jelly fish that one tide may leav
high and dry.and the next float on
or not. An unmisable boy amonI
boys.
There's the stroke-oar boy, VIII,
has a will OF his own. Starts GU
pluckily on his own hook. Will no
sink because he is bound to swim
The manly boy Who'll not b.
Il nobody because resolved to be
somebody. Makes up his min,
quickly and, by degrees, wisely
That was Girard's rule-to strike
bargain Quickly. The bright DO,
ferrets it out. He'd swap a four-blad
ed whitc-handled knife with nam
plate on it, while another boy dick
cred and hung fire over the trade o
II common marble. He is on tn
road to be comming tip-top mar
Decision of mind makes him Il her
just as soon as opportunity comes
1t isn't that his eyes are wider, hi
ears larger than others, but that h
uses them SO that they become acute
trains himself to strike out and sten
or ride the wave at the right mon
ent. And the one way to make tn
boy selfreliant, n strong swimme
in the sea of life, is to put him o
his own responsibility to decide an,
do as early and fast as he can bea
it. With a strong grip on him t
keep him ahoat he'll soon learn tn
floating and the swimming too. T,
succeed is the boys second nature
if he gets fairly into trying.
r's'scSs',''.'e'.',rt'%s
Two Hundred Years Ago
or More
. Twn hnndrnd vnnrs and morn 40