The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-07-10
HOBoEs."


and especially those who have ma
terial on hand suitable for the con
~struction of 'hoboes" After careful
observation and painstaking investi-
cation, 1 am prepared to say that
this town is full of ''hobO" goods,
and that of the very best quality. I
have had for years a good lot of such
material and the problem of my life
has been to prevent it from develop
ing into s.hoboes'' and other such
ilk.
There are more than n hundred
children in this town, of all ages,
who have already sprouted "hobo"
growth. They go when and where
they choose, do as they please, say
what they like, stay as long as it
suits them, and return home at their
own sweet will. A large majority of
these hayward youths are from what
are called christian homes" Some
of them are the sons of elders, dea-
cons and stewards in the Church.
They are the bad boys of today who
become the bad men of tomorrow.
What shall we do with the bad men?
The religiOnist would have him con-
verified the mOralist would have him
elevated the philanthrOpist would
have bis general condition improved.
But I believe that the proper way to
remedy the evil is to preventit. Stop
producing the bad maj by training
the boy so that he will not become a
bad man. Train up a child in the
way in which he should go and when
he is old he will not depart from it,"
The origin of the evils of the day
is in the homes of the land. Parents
will not train up their children in the
way in which they should go. They
love something better than the wei
fare of their children. Is it because
they believe that there is something
of more Importance than Christian
character? Parents who love a dol
I I'LL -DCUUSI IlluIl GllC SOlllO vi U14C11 LII
dren are cursing the world with bad
men. You cannot give your entire
attention to the accumulation of
wealth or the pursuit of pleasure and
at the same time train your children
for a we'll spent life or for an Elysian
eternity.
A child whose life is priced above
a sordid dollar will not be allowed to
run at large-a vagabOnd on the
streets and a nuisance to the travel
ing public. Parents who have even
the (most common) sense of proprie-
ty, and are at all anxious for the well
fare of their children, will make
them the first objects of their care,
and will sacrifice everything else of
minor Importance to the end that
they may make the world better in
stead Of worse. l know parents who
subscribe to the name of Christian
who turn their children loose on the
streets and T glad to get rid of
UllC1I lOl ULlC tlIlIC DCIuS. Liz GILL
dren choose their own companions.
They play and chew and smoke and
bet and laugh and joke with the COM
placency of the professional game
ster. They depredate on the property
Of their neighbOrs and jeOpardize the
lives of those who try to keep their
! oI;1lr,O- vr1Eh1,o +LD lO--,I, &c IL
leas@ common decency. Boys who
+ allowed Ito say nothing of being
encouraged to play fast and loose all
of their waking hours will curse the
world with an idle if not a vicious,
criminal existence.
Ordinances are passed by some city
councils prohibiting children of a GER
tain age from running at large after
certain hours at night. No better
arguments than these ordinances
could be produced to show the scare
ity of Christian parents and the ut
ter disregard of the Bible injunction
regarding the training of children.
There is but one law that will con-
troll children under age and that is
the law of Christian parental love.
Parents who love their children and
God who has given them and who re-
gard those children as precious
treasures from Him, to be trainedfo for
Him by His methods, and kept pure
by His grace and for His glory-will
not allow them to wander like Arabs
beyond their vigilance and constant.
untiring care. This vigilance and