San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-05-26
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS.

The Home School" having been
considered, those which lie outside
Of home and necessarily connected
with it will claim attention. Leav-
ing our own doors we naturally
pass into the street. This fact de-
termines the nature of the next
school, and the "School Of. the
Street" is the theme of today's dis
course. ..
From home into the street, from
the shelter and seclusion Of the one
to the exposure and publicity Of
the other, what a contrast! In
some families this street education
commences about as soon as the
little one can crawl from The door
stone to the gutter that lies so
conveniently near to it. These are
usually the children of want, I'M
fortunate sons and daughters Of
unrequited toll; children born to
fatal inheritance of criminal OPP
portunity and handicapped from
their cradles. 1t is from this class
in great measure that the ranks Of
the great army Of petty criminals
are recruited in larger cities, and
out of these ranks too many are
promoted to the higher grades OF
criminal life. Thus by regular and
natural graduation the descent into
crime of the blacklist kind is made
and the cells of the prisons and the
scaffold of the gallows furnished
with victims.
But the scholars in his pernicious
school of the street are by no
means confined to this class. From
out Of the homes OF plenty, from
the firesides Of comfort, from I'M
der the eye Of true affection the
children are constantly passing
to the seductions and dangers of
the street. Some Of the danger
thus incurred is unavoidable. The
greater part of it might be averted
by wise home discipline. The
principal reason why this is not
done is because of the thoughtless-
ness of parents, their lack Of con-
sideration Of the ruinOus tenden-
cies of this street education. To
point out these tendencies, show
the dangers thatlie around the cor
ners, loaf about the gatherings OF
the street idlers, breed in the
swarming quarters Of the street
arabs, is in part the object OF this
sermon. To bring this matter
home to the LIGHT congregation it
will be in place to consider the les
sons that are taught in the "street
school" and note how they mega
tive and undermine those neces-
sary and beneficial instructions in
the "home school" previously
noted.
The first lesson taught in the
"street school" is that "home" is not
what it is cracked up to be. Before
the child enters this school there is
a divinity that hedges the name Of
home. Before he has attended
lectures a week the feather edge is
off.the home idea, and in month
it has often lost its grip. There is
in the mind of the street urehin an
undisguised contempt for the
boy who is tied to mothers apron
string. This contempt shows it.
self in sneering words and looks
whenever the home bred boy
comes upon the street scene. Ridi-
Guile is a whip Of scorpions to the
sensitive mind and the sarcasm
tells. Once in a while the righteous
Indignation of manly nature re.
sents the attack upon home and
on mother and sister, the reac.
ton comes and the street loses an.
other scholar. Nine times out Of
ten the reverse is true and the
home influence is eaten into by the
cursed canker of street influences
Once the influence OF home IL
weakened, it necessarily follows
that those home taught lesso nj
lose their force, home influence
weakens continually until it ka'
little or no binding force and the
weaving process is only too com
plete.
That love of truth which was SO
assiduously cultivated in the hom
, is disregarded in the street. Lying