The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-13
RIGHT AND WRONG KINDS
sELF-RELIANCE MAY BE VERY GOOD
OR VERY BAD.
Ii Depends ON the Self on Which Re-
lance IL PIaced-A Pertinent Crit
icism of the Schools.
Boston Herald.

Boston Herald.
Teachers i'm our schools-public, private,
or Sunday schools a~like-often get down
hearted at the lack of interest on the part
OF parents as to what Is going on there;
especially on the part of fathers, who, these
teachers declare, often evince no more vital
solicitude for the education Of their tender
offspring than so many self-graduated
Shanghai ROSTERS in a barnyard for that
Of their broods of chicks, while the hui
name mothers not infrequently rise TO a
kindred sense OF maternal responsibility
with the hens. This ought not to be. DR..
John Fiske. in his cosmic philosophy. has
clearly demonstrated that the prolongation
of infancy in the human species, along with
the duties thereby entailed on fathers and
mo .hers alike, Is the master stroke of ma
ture. darkly aimed at the differentiation
of men and women from dogs. cats,
ostriches. ROSTERS and hens into so many
Roman Cornelias-male and female-proud-
ly crying. These are my jewels
Thank heaven, however. all men are not
as most men-a fact revivingly impressed
on the mind of a reporter on the Boston
Herald the other day when-in that keen
interest in common school education, ever
so close to the heart OF the press-he drop
ped in upon one of our grand institutions
for the evolution Of the coming sons and
daughters OF the Republic. Who should
turn up on the occasion but one of Bos-
toms most sagacious and successful bust
ness men-a man with more calls every
hour on his time than most men have in a
week. Asking for a chance TO address the
children-an opportunity gladly granted
him, so welcome had he made himself on
previous occasions-he stood up and deliv-
cred himself straight from the shoulder in
the following fashion-a fashion, the repor-
ter felt. fully worthy OF wider circulation in
the columns of the Herald:
Boys and girls, began the driving, level
headed speaker, Il want TO ak TO you
about a matter of immense practical inter-
est to you all. Many of you know me for a
man with heavy business responsibilities
on his shoulders. First and last, the con-
Germ of which l am head gives employment
to about 1900 men and women. Well, L am
often pestered TO death with applications
for positions from one class OF people whom
/ have come fairly TO detest. You will be
startled, no doubt, when / tell you who they
are. They are not necessarily lazy nor
vicious u Pe s ? Thsy n are what wat e. by .e she
reliant people! you will cry out. Why.
these people are just the characters We
have been taught to look on as the pride
and glory of America Yes. that is exactly
the mischief of it. and / want to try
whether / cannot clear up your heads a
little on this momentous matter. In other
words. L want to talk to you about self
reliance, when IL is a virtue and when a
vice. when a blessing and when = curse.
TWO BOYS.
Let me begin with a little story. i have
a friend who has two boys. Of ten and
twelve years Of age. A year ago last April
he said to them: Now. VIII and Dick, If
you keep on till summer vacation doing as
we'll at school as you have been doing. I'll
take you To the White mountains. and Wen
climb Mount Washington together and see
from the top of it all the Kingdoms of the
earth and the glory thereof. OF course, the
boys redoubled their diligence. and. true 10
his word. when vacation time came the
party started gayly forth. arriving about
shutdown at Crawford's Hotel. at the foot
OF the Presidential range. They were TO
have "A very early breakfast 10 secure the
advantages OF sunrise on the way up, and
duly each one OF the family presented him
self at table. Forthwith, one Of the BOYS
began, like a trooper 10 lay in a substan-
tial foundation OF bread and butter. beef
steak. French-fried potatoes. ~doughnuts,
and. on this rare occasion, coffee. But the
other was so excited that he could not
swallow "A morsel. In vain the father insist
ed. You can't climb Mount Washington IL
good for fifty Mount Washingtons.' was the
reply. IL was OF no use. The overexcited
little fellow could not be induced to worry
down more than a mouthful or two OF
bread.
For the first third OF the way up all
went well. After that one of the two boys
began 10 lag behind and the others had TO