The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-06-20
ABOUT BOYS.
ALL WORTH SAVING.
Handle Carefully.
.41.J

One Of the most difficult problems
presented TO parent is how to deal
with an unruly, disobedient child who
ha7, unn0tlced, grown to be refractory
from small beginnings and has become
a problem only when he has outgrown
the usual simple correctives. There
are many quacks ready with their spe-
citics, but their advice is not apprecia-
ted very highly by the thinking parent
When his valuable watch gets out OF
| order he does not (unless he is a watch
maker) think of repairing it himself
nor does he take it to a blacksmith or
machinist for repairs He entrusts it
only to a skilled matchmaker, who is
fitted by long experience, to deal with
the delicate mechanism
Now, a boy, viewed merely as physical
machine, Is an almost infinitely more
delicate organism than a watch. If he
gets out OF order it is the part of wis
dom to employ only physicians of high
skill to put him again in working con-
dihon. When, however, the boy is
regarded as a human being-a machine
in one aspect, but a machine guided
by wlll-pOwer, emotions and passions
the task Of putting him in order after
he has begun to go wrong is often be-
yOnd the skill of the wisest physician.
Many remedies may be tried, but one
can not be sure of finding a specific, so
much depends upon the nature of the
individual as we'll as upon the character
of the disease or fault
Discipline is highly recommended,
but discipline Is certain to be effective
only with the lower natures that can
be cowed into submission. Those that
are better worth saving rebel against it,
and something else must be tried. The
bad boy who is not actually depraved
is usually one whose energies have been
diverted to wrong channels. He may
be redeemed if gently led back to some
thing that is wholesome, and that at
the same time interests him. 1t is
scarcely worth while to try to force him
where he does not want to go. Some
times a change Of associates will effect
a cure. for it is true in much broader
sense than is implied by the copybook
that "evil communications corrupt
good manners" But it is impossible
to suggest crre-all for the disease or
fault that is both deep-seated and OBJ
scure Only the quack has a remedy
suited to all diseases and all constitu-
tons
The aim of all parents should be to
nreyent the occurrence of disease, to
prevent the child from uncOnsciously
growing unruly, wiltuI and disobedient.
For this, wisely administered discipline
begun at an early age and never relax
ed, is as good specific as quinine for
malaria. But it must be taken in time.
The parent who thinks his pert child
amusing, who is foolishly indulgent or
carelessly indulgent for several years
during which the child is gathering
deep-seated impressions of life, should
not be surprised if pertness should
develop into impudence and lack OF
restraint beget resistance to discipline.
To this the boy comes when he Is too
old to be disciplined in the good old
fashioned style and when to put great
restraints upon his freedom is to invite
an open rebellion from authority.
1t Is too late then to apply a sure
remedy. The wisest know too little OF
human nature to make the needed re-
nairs. The best that can be done Is to
"assist nature" as physicians do who
have cases they do not understand.
Some of the methods of assisting nature
in the reclamation of Wayward boy
have been suggested. 1t should always
he remembered that the bad boys, Il
| not hopelesslv depraved, are we'll worth
saving, for they very probably have
originality and more spirit than then
GOOD brothers. The best time to save
them, however, Is before they have
become infected, and this can be done
through gentle but firm discipline
begun in their earliest years and main