The Delta independent., 1902-05-30
er by the right kind of training. Far


too many, according to my judgment,
are kept in school when they would
do better If put to work"
That's rather contrary to the gen.
eral sentiment" said Farmer Edwards,
who had been listening attentively to
Mr.. Hudson's remarks. 81 thought the
plan was to give all the children aIl
the education and book knowledge we
could"
'The trouble is right here" returned
Mr.. Hudson. I'VE have done well In
starting and supporting so many
schools and insisting that all the chill
dren should attend them, but we ought
to have had manual training schools
and shops right alongside of them and
have men and women in them teach
ing the boys and girls how to use their
hands. That's where we've made Il
bad mistake. I believe it's the truth
that if we had had such shops there
would be very few convicts in any of
our reform schools and penitentia-
| ries."
You'd better go about the country
and lecture to school boards, Mr.. Hud-
son. said Aunt kezzy, "or write some
pieces for some of the New York pa
pers.' They all laughed, but they were
so thoroughly convinced that Mr.. Hud-
son had stated the truth that they
really believed he might do a lot OF
good in such ways.
H.
"a bad boy, no, don't think that for
a minute" said Mr.. Albert Hudson to
the foreman in the woodcarving de-
partment when he was talking about
several boys under him, and compli-
menting particularly the work of Jim
Fellows.
MY boys say Jim was expelled from
school and that the teachers could do
nothing with him." urged the fore
man
Its true he was expelled" replied
Mr.. Hudson, ''and the teachers could
do nothing with him because they
were ignorant. That was all the
trouble there. But he isn't bad boy;
he just wanted work, that's all, just
as Nat Jones did. The Edwards were
talking with me about him last nigh,
and l told them the same thing
IT'S pity the teachers could no,
be made to see 1t as you do, Mr.. Hud
son; then he might be in school yet"
You're making big mistake there,
Holmes. It's no pity at all, that is
as the schools are conducted nova
days Jim wanted something to do.
that was the matter with him. He
was full. chock full of ideas, and he
just had to whisper and disobey the
rtt1a n tol- 1T ol- a
cut his initials on the bench and on
his desk. He couldn't be happy with
his nose poked into book all the
time; he wanted work. He's merry
and happy when he has anything to
do, but to be shut up in close, hot
school room for six hours day made
him cross and irritable of course
Haven't you heard him whistling
about the shop here? In my opinion
1t Is not pity at all that he could
not stay there; it's fortunate that ne
was expelled. That fellow will sur
prise us some day by inventing some
thing wonderful. now mark my words
You've had no trouble with him, hav.
you?"
'Oh, none whatever" Mr.. Hudson
He really enjoys his work, and he
has never been late nor. SO far as
can remember, has he done anything
to bother me-"
Let's see; he came here when you
were laid up with rheumatism. didn',
he?" asked Mr.. Hudson.
Yes, he'd been at work six weeks
when l came back" replied the fore
man. Il was asking my boys about
him the other day and that's what
they told me-"
"Oh, then you haven't heard how
he came here?" said Mr.. Hudson.
mo, should like to hear" said the
foreman in an interested manner.
"Ill tell you first little about the
boy" began Mr.. Hudson. His father
is gardener at the Bentons, and natur-
ally Jim has been a playfellow of the
two Benton boys ever since they were
little shavers. Mrs. Benton has some
times spoken to Mrs. Hudson about
Jim. and has said while he was
merry, energetic little fellow he was
so destructive she did not know what
to do about it. Mr.. Benton Is always
bringing home mechanical toys for his
boys, and Jim, she said, was continu-
ally destroying them. The minute he
would see an engine or a train, gun
carriage, boat or anything which
was made to work by winding up, he
would say, Lets take 1t apart and see
how it goes, and in a twinkling he
would have 1t apart. This became
| such a common experience Mrs. Ben
| should be hioden away from him.
THAT illustrates" he continued.
'one of the principles which Froebel
taught with reference to the inquisi-
tive and constructive instincts in chill
dren which should be considered. All
toys. he claimed, should be made SO
that they could be taken apart and put
together again, thus satisfying those