The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-11-28
Barlow Mans Championship of
the Bad Boy is Approved.
COMMENT FROM A SCHOOLTEACHER
Solomon Was Probably Joking When
He Wrote: HE that spareth
the Rod Hatch His son." and
the Practice Is Almost
Obsolete Now.

In a 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
lsays 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
|taining and instructive for he is no or
binary teacher, but is a highly cultured
gentleman, and writes a beautiful let
ter. His letter contained several pages
and was eagerly perused. He says |
am a believer in the rod, but it has
cen my lot to have to use it mostly,
Apt lightly, on mammals pets-the
bod boys who never did anything
rong He does not believe in moral
IFurpitude or total deprayity, but that
all natural instincts are good and that
evil is only an abuse or misuse Of the
good and he has never seen a human
being who would not at times perform
9me kind of Office for another, never
Z AFFECTING a reward. Once upon a time,
story goes, little girl was watch
n sculptor as he put the finishing
ches upon an angel he had chiseled
rom a block of marble, and she ex-
elaimed: ooh what a beautiful angel
Tou have made!" no" said the sculp-
or, "the angel was already in the mar
l nave only Clipped away the
Ugh stone that hid it,"
$50 1t is with every man-there is an
NIGEL there, though too often hidden
~ the stony covering. The skillfuI
culptor could find it.
This reminds me of an incident
hat happened many years ago in
rome while l lived there. It was on
unday while a great freshet was in
eting a portion Of the town. A
Dor boy, the son Of a widow, had
owed his little boat out in an eddy to
atch some wood that was floating
own. BY some mischance his boat
Yas caught by the current and he was
arried rapidly down the stream. His
other had seen it all and ran down
bank screaming for help. Many
ople ran along with her, but could do
othing 1t was near a quarter of
Lille to the junction where scores of
zen and boys were watching the surg
g waters. AS the little boat neared
he bridge pillar and capsized and the
by disappeared with the boat. in an
slant it came to the surface again
1the boy was seen clinging to the
On at its end "Saye that boy,
,mebody.'3 Said one, I'll give IS to
I've that boy" Said another, 'Tll give
o." 'Ill give $20," said another, but
Jbody dared to venture. The mother
led in agony, won't somebody save
boy" Just then young man was
en- rushing wildly down. throwing off
coat and shoes as he came and
ing the crowd, he ran down into
water and struck out boldly for
boy. He got him, and clasping one
m around his waist swan with the
her and laid him at his mothers feet.
was limp and speeches., but alive.
atting on his shoes and coat, the
ung man walked quickly away, But
N1s known to most of those pres
&e was a barkeeper and his neral
ding was not good, for he was pro
lie in speech and his associates were
3 sports and drinking men of the
Wn. He was under the ban, but
ere was an angel in MIN somewhere.
u knew the poor widow and he knew
j boy-and he scorned to accept any
ward. I have often ruminated over
At heroic deed and wondered.
M School teacher friend says that
Is difference between a bad boy and a
cd one is that the stone is harder to
ID from the former, but gives a finer
more durable polish when the
high outside is chiseled away, but the
0d boys angel Is found in chalk, and
crumbles and decays.
E tells of Bob, the worst boy ever
ght. It was far out in western Tex
and when the school was made up
was predicted that Bob and the
cher would have q fight in less than
week. He was fully apprised that
was wicked and cursed like sail
and would fight at the drop of a
and drop it himself. Bob's father
dead and his mother an invalid
very poor, but Bob loved her and
: Lind and good to her and cooked