The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-16

tween the two. The most obvious
link of connection between this gem
Grafton and the one coming Is our
army of boys and girls. They are 10
be the men and women OF the social
political and religious future. Tooay
they make up our schools and SUNDAY
schools: they fill subordinate places In
our offices. banks. factories and work
shops: they are selling papers on our
streets. shining boots about our hotels
and railroad stations; carrying mes
sages IN town and down town: and.
we must in truth add this also, they
are to be found in large numbers
lounging about the doors of our thea
ters, saloons and places of question:
able resort
IL Is for the normal development or
these children-taking them where ana
how we find them--that we, the adult
generation of today. are under bonds.
Healthy environment for every boy
and girl of tender age Is the first
requirement for normal development.
To be sure healthy environment is not
a chief inheritance from the past but
we have received something else from
thence which teaches us, If we are
wise to learn. that to go on carelessly
leaving the child open to the rapidly
forming environment which Is not
healthy, means sad social and political
disaster further on.
For humanitys sake. then, child life
must be protected. inspired and sus-
rained: and to- improve on the earlier
and now inadequate methods, and to
at once set some proper influence at
work in directions where nothing at
all has yet been attempted, is the def
mite task each successive line of So
cial reformers has at hand.
The boy at school or in employ may
be considered healthily environed;
that Is to say with brain profltably
exercised. and with hands worthily
employed, he is not, for the time be-
ing, open to baneful influences. But
school and work. as a point of fact
take up a small portion only of the
boys time. 1t is for the hours he is
not In school. not at the Office, and
not crying his papers in the street
that some one is bound to be anxious.
This danger time is the evening hour
between supper and bed time. School
is over, the days work is done, the
papers are all sold. Moth ing now 20
10 but have fun" WELL let him have
fun; that Is boys natural right.
But how shall he have it? and where
shall ne have it? We, his guardians,
must answer. There are two ways
open to u.s. We may take this even
ing hour away from him entirely, ring
the curfew bell at o'clock instead Of
at Q, and shut him up at home or in
a night school or other place Of COM
pulsory detainment: or we may allow
II. f.Iy L. t.
street aimlessly, lurk in dark corners.
or crowd into places of amusement
where false ideals OF life are alluring-
~ presented.
In the first instance he will have
something approaching to healthful
surroundings, but there will be no fun
in it. In the second instance there
will be fun enough and to spare, but
of health probably the very smallest
nodicum.
Have we any other alternative?
Fun is a boys sunshine. Freedom
from too much restraint is his light
and air. He must have these in proper
proportions IL he is to develop nat
urally. Then again he needs society
society suited to his taste and habit:
because social intercourse sustains the
faculty develops early in this day and
generation. The kindergarten intro
duces the child at three years of age
to the big world by which he is sur
rounded, and from that time on he
is never "out" Of society. II the boys
future welfare is to be practically con-
sidered then the kindergarten period
must be followed without break
ha 10
10 me, In meeting our responsibility to
the boy, Is not to curtail his pleasures,
not to rob him of a single right which
he considers his own. not to take from
him something he cares for and force
upon him something else which he
does not care for; but, rather, to take
him as we find him: get into his sym
pathies instead of trying to draw him
into ours; and then. with our larger
experience. help him to get even more
pleasure out of life than ever before,
and that in a way that shall leave no
sting or smart behind, as too much Of
his so-called pleasure now does.
And just herein is the province Of
the Boys club. AS one has truly said:
The club follows the line of least re-
sistance," and when kept in the line
Of common sense" will meet more of
the boys natural demands than any
other present day institution, The
club is, in reality, the kindergarten
expanded and extended. 1t gives to
the boy of twelve and fourteenth
quality suited to his enlarged tastes
and higher development-the same
mixture of amusement and instruc-
\ tion, that the kindergarten gives the
child of four and five. Thus the crav-
ing for society of his own kind is met
in the weekly social hour and in the
common meeting ground which the
club in itself affords. For his con-
structive and destructive energies an
outlet is furnished in the various in
dustrial classes usually attached to
boys clubs. For excess of animal
spirits there is the gymnasium. To
satisfy his instinct for martial spirit
and display. there is the brigade drill
and occasional public appearances in
splendor of sword and flag and BRASS
buttoned uniform. Lastly, the aver
age boy has early inclnations toward
politics. He intends-every boy does
To hold public Office later on as he
now sees the leading men in his ward
doing. 1t is no part of ours to seek
to prevent our boys in their own good
time from taking part in the exercise
Of government-such an oniook. in
fact, should be a worthy ambition for
any boy. There may, however, be OBJ
lection to their taking such part in
the same way some of their leading
ward men are doing today; and we can
fulfill our duty in this respect by
showing them "a better way" To
ridicule existing conditions, to warn
the boy against them and then leave
him alone to evolve the better way