Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-31

school education. IIc had an iron viii. "
hGt hare IL Mas p"wcrlrHs.
~ there are boys who must Quit scnno!
-uot necessarily uuit reading ana study.
get fair oGuiv lient Tor school sduca-
zion by well directed HON" instruction.
The great danger lies. however. IA deter
mining whether IN" necessity % quitting
does Or do~s not exist. ;nr what appears
Ia br necessity DC really often not a
necessity. Il - 80 easy Tor q boy to con
iIro up a necessity II IL meets hts notion
IL Is not .npueh to create a necessity that
tn" few dollars tn" boz might br earning
would come In handy al hom., would
help cloth" him better or add little to
mothers ar sisters comfort. ar make II
easier for father Fathers. mothers. and
sisters II Tn" right sort are willing. nay.
are glad tn give IN something OF comfort
and are pleased to sacrifice something
that III. boy may get an education. 1t
speaks well for the boy that ne thinks Of
what he might 40 with his money to help
along n home. II this IS really his motive
, In quitting school, but let him not con
1ure up out az his Kindness Of heart the
existence OF real necessity where it
docs not exist. And then IL he IS really
anxious to helm nut "a hun" there are
scores Of ways ~ earning dollar or two
now and then outside of school hours. Is
he taking advantage Of these Are these
dollars being used in the way he Is 50
ii"ruiCdiiy piCturiuE Ia himself And II
he can't earn 4 dollar outside Of school
hours. Their" are many. many ways Of re-
ii"viug burdens at hur1" ana making tn"
Is h mindful ~ these Ii not. MS heart
ionginEs "a he earning money to bring
homo are ju. fooling him
Perhaps the boy has 90; the notion
from some dYspcptiC philosopher that a
school education is not after ali i good
thing to have. and that the sooner he gets
haven't the space to argue this question
think IL is pretty well settled that the
timeS demand educated men and that al
man has the inside track I'm the race. OF
course, men do succeed in money ma king
and IN other directions without it: but |
notice In reading their biographies and
their advice tO boys. they have kccnlY
felt the lack OF school training and earn
es;ly advise that boys do not follow their
example
There is period pretty well marked in
boys generally. where they grow restless
1t is the period when they begin in the
seCluSion of their rooms at home TO rub
the upper lip and nearly crack the look
ing glass To lind a sproutinS hair. They
get their first temptation to smoke and
pnssibly fall prey TO il on the quiet
They begin to study the most effective
part in the hair. They assume lordly
manners at home. They take unkindly
any interference with their plans. They
begin to worry mother by irregular hours
and uncertain whereabouts at night.
They prefer other company 70 that Of sis
ter. Now look out for this boy. lie has
reached the turning point. He is. as we
say of horses, feeling his oats" lie is
getting ready 10 break loose. Tie Is get
panions have graduated immaturcly and
are earning money-a little and they are
spending it too. They have Il little some
thing To jingle in their pockets-for Il
night or two after pay day. and he hasn't.
He feels mean in consequence. They are
independent: he is dependent" He is
a boy: they are men-at least. they can
act like it while their money lasts. Now
he must quit school. Other BOYS are
beating him in the race. He will earn
money and be man. too. But he will
not do as they do. he will bring his earn
igs home. Keeping just enough 10 Jingle
when out with ...e boys. 80 that he need
not feel stingy. How he longs to help
contribute ut homo. Perhaps he does.
Sometimes lac really does. But look ont
for this boy. Kindly. earnestly hold him
Don't scold him. He is dcveloping-shail
say naturally?-not unnaturally. These
nhenomena are characteristic OF boy life
It's the turning point between Innocent
careless, huoyant .bo%hood. and earnest
strifeful. self-assertive manhood. Let
him pass that safely and the chances arc
in his favor: let him fail at this point.
let him have his way. let him loose with
his uniformed character and mind into the
world OF boys. who. like him. have quit
school CapriciouSly ana foolishly. and the
chances are all against him.-The Amer
lean Boy