The record-union., 1897-06-13
some RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
Copyrighted by Memo.

To the Boys Again.-We will enjoy
one more brief talk about fighting, and
then next week l must turn back to
subjects for older folks. The reason
l have written to you about battles
for these three weeks has been because
of the great amount of war news in
the papers and because of the keeping
of Decoration Day in a number of
States And since there are many boys
who think only of battles in connection
with bloodshed, it seemed right to show
you other ways of fighting 1t is, I
think, now understood between us that
most of us will never be called to
conflict except that of brains against
brains; also, that all of us are in a
state of siege because of temptations
that are trying to work damage to our
characters; temptations that really do
us good if we resist them. Now,
want to give you some idea that there
may be soldiers in your neighborhood,
whom you have never thought of as
being fighters at ALL
| know a school teacher very thor
oughly in little country town. She
gave several years preparing to teach
and she teaches we'll. She gets very
little pay, yet she never complains,
because she feels sure she is at the
post of duty. Scarcely any of the
parents ever come to see her at work,
or cheer her with word of thanks;
and sometimes saucy chits of girls will
whisper TO one another that she is an
"old maid because she is over %. She
reminds me of a good General who
lays out plan of campaign so we'll
that he is quite sure he is right and
then carries out the plan in spite of
all opposition by the enemy or by lazy
helpers. He tries to be right and to
be successful, or if he cannot be sue
cessfu1, at any rate to be right; she
does. The old Roman legions stood
up for many years attempting to roll
back the flood of barbarians that
threatened the northern boundary; but
bravery failed and the Roman En-
plre went to pieces. This dear woman
is just one of many-there are such
soldiers right in your town-who stand
by school desks, like modern Roman
soldiers, and fight with the danger that
threatens our land from ignorant men
and women. The greatest power of
warriors could not make knowledge in
crease; but what the arm of flesh and
deadly warfare would fail to do the
patient, gentle, large hearted teachers
are doing successfully, else our dear
country would not be improving as it
1s L want to say some more about
this teacher becatse I know her. and
because l know there are many more
like her. You would say of a soldier
that he was a good one, if he con-
tented himself with doing exactly as
he was told. But teachers are not like
this; nearly all of them do much more
than they are paid to do My friend.
for instance, lives in a town that has
a very bad name. There is much
drinking and roughness and vulgar talk
and vice. This pure minded little Iadv.
who is hired merely to train the brains
OF the children, is not content with
dong that but she is also watching
over their morals. Her great heart
takes them all in, and she is trying, |
una1ded by many of the parents. to
roll away the shame of her town. She
does this by explaining the right and
wrong of things to all who come under =
her care. She teaches them to respect
thelr bodies, too. She is a soldier |
tell you, and a brave onei Perhaps
there is one like her in your school
house. Please think of teachers in
future as fighters for good, and YOU
Will then easily understand that the
weakest fighting of all is that of mere
bodily strength.
Down on the east side of New York
city, where in some places 1900 peo-
pie are crowded into one small block
thlnk OF that, you boys who have wide
acres and woods to roam over-I met
some time ago a young man who was
scarcely five feet tall. He was also
very light in weight, hollow -chested.
pale, weak. He looked as though a
strong breeze would blow him away:
and, as for walking, he told me that
ten miles would cripple him But he
is brave soldier just the same: brav-
er by far than many man who has
smelt powder Which do you think