The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-21
THE ROD ANDTHEB BOY
Bill Arp Gets IN Interesting Letter
IN the Subject.
Writer Declares the Bad Boys Turn
0pt the Best-TcIls of the Cnse of
Bob-Why Solomon Was n
Poor Authority.

copyrighted by Atlanta Constitution and
Reprinted by Permission,l
In a recent letter / took the part of
the bad boys and said they must not
be given up. That letter has pro-
voked a most intelligent comment
from a western school-teacher, who
has been teaching boys for 20 years.
He says that his so-called bad boys al
most invariably turned out to be his
best boys, best scholars and best men,
and he never punished II with the
rod. His illustrations are very apt,
entertaining and instructive, for he
is no ordinary teacher, but is a highly
cultured gentleman, and writes a
beautiful letter. His letter contained
several pages and was eagerly perused.
He says | am 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 any
thing wrong. He does not believe in
moral turpitude or total ~depravity,
but that all natural instincts are good,
and that evil is only an abuse or mis-
use of the good, and he has never seen
a human being who would not at times
perform some kind office for another,
never expecting a reward. Once upon
a time, the story goes, a little girl
was watching a sculptor as he put
the finishing touches upon an angel
that he had chiseled from a block of
marble, and she exclaimed: "Oh, what
a beautiful angel you have made!"
No." said the sculptor, 1.-The angel
was already in the marble. L have
only Clipped away the rough stone
that hid it,"
So ii 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 a great freshet was inundating
a portion of the town. a poor boy,
the son of a widow, had rowed his lit
tie 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 rap
idly 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
We're watching the surging waters.
AS the little boat neared the bridge
pillar it capsized and the boy disap-
peared with the boat. In an instant it
came to the surface again and the
boy was seen clinging to the chain at
its end. Save that boy, somebody"
Said one: 9TH give SIS to save that
boy" Said another: 9TH give $40"
''T1l give $50" said another, but no.
body dared to venture. The mother
cried in agony, Wont somebody save
my boy" just then a young man was
seen rushing wildly down, throwing
off his coat and shoes as he came, and
passing 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 vas limp and speechless, but
alive. Putting or his shoes and coat,
the young man walked quickly away.
But he was known to most of those
present. He was a barkeeper and his
moral standing was not good, for he
was profane in speech and his asso-
ciates 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. I have often
ruminated over that heroic deed and
wondered.
My 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 a
finer and more durable polish when
the rough outside is chiseled away,
but the good boys angel is found in
chalk, and soon crumbles or decays.
He tells of Bob, the worst boy ever
taught. 1t was far out in western