The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-20

s. :
ceceoccoeo0o0oosoeoesesoso
not a believer in the mothers influence
and helpfulness over the boy life. for |
am. No human mind can ever conceive
the real helpful influence consecrated
motherhood has had on the lives of boys
everywhere. This fact and the emphasis
OF TINS fact have partly led us into the
problem before US. 1t is more poetic to
praise the tender influence of mothers
NE than TO talk in a praiseworthy way
or square-shouldered, practical father
AS have read of the influence OF the
mothers on the lives of the great men OF
the past, l have been lea to believe that
these boys who have become great have
been helped alike by father and mother.
The mother love leaves a tender memo
~ in all of our hearts, but much of
stalWart character and manhood has
been impaired to our American boys by
the fathers as they have trudged beside
them at the pillow across unbroken fields,
ard gone with them into the forest to
swing the ak. The plan of modern bus
mess and labor is changing this. he
father is not associated with the son as
IN other days. A boy, as he leaves his
younger boyhood and goes into youth
looks not alone to the mother. He real
izcs that his pattern for manhood must
be taken from the father How seldom
some of the sons of our business and
laboring men get to look at their pat
tern 1t is high time indeed that the
fatherhood of every race should awaken
and realize that they have an invest
ment which in the end may mean more
to them than the business, profession or
labor to which they are devoting so
many hours.
DEVELOPING OF a BOYS HOBBY.
Someone has we'll said, Every boy has
hobby" These hobbies in boys repre-
sent the tendencies to future work Ev-
cry student of child life knows that these
earlier traits are the things which mark
the lines along which the lives may be
developed. We have long ago recognized
that the hobby or the trait of the lit
tie girl shows a talent for certain things
and we have been wise enough to discern
these tendencies and develop them. When
a little girl sits down to the edge Of a
chair and makes it an imaginary piano,
we at once see the trait and tendency Of
the musician and we are wise enough, as
she grows older, to develop that tenden-
cy 1t is the same if she shows a ten
dency to drawing or painting. The homes
that many times have been far seeing
. enough to recognize these things in the
girl life, have often throttled the same
thing in the boy life. With a girl these
things are rightly taken as a talent; with
a boy as a within.
We are quick to say of boy who
/ shows bad traits that he is on the way
TO the penitentiary the gallows. But
when a boy brings his hammer or saw,
or his piece of wire that will make an
electric battery, or frog and lizard
around us, we thing he is into mischief,
when unconsciously the tendencies or
his life are being developed which may
make him an architect, IN electrician,
or naturalist Much has been said and
Hritten about boys pocket. [ have
enptied by their consent, a great many
toys pockets, and as l would lind string
and screws and all things 1t contained, l
would be disposed to say, This is all
nonsense" But I have never found
thing in a boys pocket but what he had
some use for it, and had placed it there
on file as the business man files his i'm
portant papers away. II our boys show
tendencies to future work, let US develop
those hobbies IL they are legitimate, and
they will become a blessing. Some OF
us may think that the hobbies of some
of the street urchins of Honolulu are
for gambling and sin. It is true these
boys are tending downward in great
many cases, yet have never grown to
be a friend of any of these street urchins
of Honolulu but what / found that In
spite of their lying and gambling that
they have desires which, if they are
properly developed, will give US true
men instead OF buns.
! There are many instances that I might
give you to illustrate the saying Every
boy has hobby" but there is one that
II oct q
city a mother said to me, Il wish you
would try to come close to my boy. He
is such a peculiar fellow" All mothers
who have a little trouble with their boys
think they are peculiar, and they are
1 studied this boy carefully and tried IN
every way to get CLOSE to him. he
was always friendly, but I found thai
there was something in his heart that
he had not revealed to me.
One day when I was very busy ne
came to me and asked if / wouldn't come
to his house at / o'clock that day. l was
tempted to refuse, but l have made
rule never TO be too busy for a boy, ever
if others must wait
F.. went to his home at the appointed
time and found the 10y waiting. 1t was
a beautiful home, for his parents were
people Of wealth. l expected to De IN
vited into the house. but instead, after
q
seq that no one was looking, he gave
the simple invitation come on, anc
started around to the back of the ..ouse
I followed him somewhat surprised, ano
my surprise was not lessened when nj
opened the cellar door and disappeared
below. I hesitated a moment but sooI
heard the same command, Come on
soon found myself surrounded by TIT
good things that are usually found Vi
the shelves of a well-provided cellar an'
thought that perhaps I had returned u
boyhood and that with companion w
were foraging mothers shelves again
was again aroused by that same boy
ish voice, Come on" 1 walked to tn
back of the cellar and found my DO!
friend leaning against the back celia
wall Back of ,Ae wall UP under IN
house was an open space extending U
the front wall. 1t was dlmly lighted Q!
air ducts from the outside. The nelgh
of this space was about three and one
half or four feet above the low wall
which cut off the back of the cellar. IN
boy seemed to hesitate for a momen'
and then pulling himself to the top o