The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-11-13
BARLOW Mans Championship of
the Bad Boy is Approved.
COMMENT FROM A SCHOOL TEACHER
Solomon Was Probably Joking When
lie Wrote: "He that spareth
the Rod Hatch His Son." and
the Practice is Almost
Obsolete Now.

I'm recent letter / took the part of
the bad boys and said they must not be
given UP. That letter has provoked a
most intelligent comment from a west
ern school teacher, who has been
teaching boys for twenty years. He
says that his so-called bad boys almost
invariably turned out to be his best
boys. best scholars, and best men, and
he never punished one with the rod.
His illustrations are very apt, enter
tanning and instructive for he is no or
binary teacher, but is highly cultured
gentleman, and writes a beautiful let
ter His letter contained several pages
and was eagerly perused. He says
ann a believer in the rod, but it has
been my lot to have to use it mostly,
but lightly, on mammals pets-the
good boys who never did anything
wrong He does not believe in moral
9urpitude or total depravity, but that
all natural instincts are good, and that
evil lis only an abuse or misuse of the
good, and he has never seen human
being who would not at times perform
some kind of Office for another, never
expecting a reward Once upon time,
the story goes, little girl was watch
ing sculptor as he put the finishing
touches upon an angel he had chiseled
from block of marble, and she eX-
claimed: 'SOh, what beautiful angel
You have made!" NO" said the sculp-
tOr. ~the angel was already in the mar
rough stone that hid it."
So it is with every man-there is an
angel there, though too often hidden
by the stony covering. The skillful
sculptor could find it.
This reminds me of an incident
that happened many years ago in
Rome while l lived there. 1t was on
Sunday while great freshet was in
NDdating a portion of the town. A
poor boy, the son of widow, had
lrowed his little boat out in an eddy to
catch some wood that was floating
down. BY some mischance his boat
was caught by the current and he was
carried rapidly down the stream. His
mother had seen it all and ran down
the bank screaming for help. Many
people ran along with her, but could do
nothing 1t was near a quarter of a
mile to the junction where scores of
men and boys were watching the surg
ing waters. AS the little boat neared
the bridge pillar and capsized and the
boy disappeared with the boat. In an
instant it came to the surface again
and the boy was seen clinging to the
chain at it's end Save that boy,
somebody" Said one, "Ill give So to
save that boy" Said another, I'll give
$40" "I'll give $20," said another, but
nobody dared to venture. The mother
cried in agony, Wont somebody save
my boy" Just then young man was
seen rushing wildly down, throwing off
his coat and shoes as ne came and
parting the crowd, he ran down into
the water and struck out boldly for
the boy. He got him, and clasping one
arm around his waist swan with the
. other and laid him at his mothers feet.
He was limp and speechless, but alive.
Putting on his shoes and coat, the
young man walked quickly away. But
he was known to most of those pres
- emit He was barkeeper and his moral
standing was not good, for he was pro-
fame in speech and his associates were
the sports and drinking men of the
town. He was under the ban, but
there was an angel in him somewhere.
He knew the poor widow and he knew
the boy-and he scorned to accept any
reward. | have often ruminated over
that heroic deed and wondered.
Nv school teacher friend says that
the difference between a bad boy and a
good one is that the stone is harder to
chip from the former, but gives finer
and more durable polish when the
rough outside is chiseled away, but the
good boys angel is found in chalk, and
soon crumbles and decays.
He tells of Bob, the worst boy ever
taught. 1t was far out in western Tex
2s, and when the school was made up
&C was predicted that Bob and the
teacher would have fightin less than
a. week. He was fully apprised that
hob was wicked and. sursed like sail
or and would fght at Nthe drop of a
Eat and drop it himself. Bob's father
was dead and his mother an invalid
and very poor, but Bob loted her and
was kind and good to her and cooked
ahe breakfast before he wentlto school,
which was two miles away. He always
Murried home after school to chop the
wood and bring water and help her
with the frugal supper. The teach
er,s punishment of his pupils, when it,
hzd to be given, was keeping them af-
ter school and requiring them to get
their lessons. Bob very respectfully
asked to be allowed to go home to wait
upon his mother. He behaved very