Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-11-27
TRUaNTS IN GLOVER.
Conn, Sentinel. November 10th.

Ansonia, Conn.,, Sentinel, November 10th.
"Truants of Ansonia are in clover. +"
So ran line in last evenings Sentinel,
and it is probably based on fact. But for
such of them as are in clover now, there
is surely a day of retribution coming,
even if they are not rounded up and
sent back to their desks and their
books. A days absence from school
cannot be made up. The dullard does
not appreciate this, and he will not
listen to it as coming from anyone else
but his teachers appreciate it, and
other members of his class learn it as
soon as he tries to regain his place
beside those of his schoolmates who
have been regular in attendance,
missing nothing, but asking many
questions and having them answered,
and elbowing their way along in the
class, playing with all their might
when play hours come and attending
recitations SO punotually and constantly
as to have it cause for remark when
by chance day is skipped
Truants who are in clover now are
tho ones who are learning the filth Of
the streets, who are decejvIng their
parents as we'll as themselves, who are
wasting their time, who are laying the
foundation for q good for nothing man
hood and who are misusing their
parents, their teeahsrs and their school
mates. L.: ia tbs truant1 who generally
rounds up his boyhood career in the
reform school and who comes to young
manhood without trade and without
the necessary education to acquire
one. He is the sort Of thing" who
eventually helps 10 swell the ranks Of
tramps and of illiterate good for
nothings such rs ill our reformatories
and our jaiis lie refuses to sen the
inch hsfore bis nose when il is pointed
out to him as boy, and in after yeHrs
that inoh grows to such a distance
between him ana decency that the task
of oyertaking the latter is beyond his
capabilities.
In short, with the truant as with the
pupil at schoui, it comes right down
to the ono principle OF doing day by
day the things that the hands find to
do. If they find evil, they will be
pretty apt to become accomplished
therein; if they find that which is
worthy of the boy and of the man, the
same rule holds good but in tho latter
case ambition comes to the aid of
ability and just.fiable pride spurs
them both TO do their best.
1t is sometimes the case that the
truant is the pupil who is tho easiest
to acquire book knowledge of any in
his class. Numerous such instances
have come to public attention. Ths
regulator is the thing that is lacking,
and that is tho worry thing that tne
public schools help to supply. 1t is
the day-in-and- day out following of a
stipulated schedule which does as much
for school children as that which they
find hatWeen fly leaves This day-by-
day drill, the giving up of games and
amusements for specified time in
order to perform somewhat irksoms
duty is as necessary in boyhood as in
young manhood, and the lesson of self
denial and self-application is tina
| greatest of all lessons and tho ora
which all VINO are successful eventually
have to learn.
| 1t is for the truant's own sake that
he is to be rounded up and sent back
to his tasks. Would that he might Es
made to see it in this light, before hir
mates have outstripped him.
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