Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1903-07-10
HOW TO REFORM A BAD BOY.

IF you want to reform bad boy
under fifteen, send him into the coun-
try; but if he's sixteen, or seventeen,
or eighteen, keep him in the city
that's my experience" said David Will
lard at the last monthly conference of
the Charity Organization Society.
Mr.. Willard is probation officer at
the general and special sessions and
the city magistrates courts, and every
one of the many persons present saw
at glance that he had a lot to say
worth saying about "City Boys; Their
aad Country
Before attempting any reformation
of boy" said Mr. Willard, you must
first find out what the reason is for
his being bad. A boy may steal some
hing from a pushcart because he is
hungry, but because he did thing
like that one wouldn't necessarily
place him in the category of bad boys.
In general there are four reasons for
boys badness foul home, insult
able surroundings, wretched parental
discipline and general cussedness on
The part of the boy, known as tenn
,erament Now, up to the age of If
o farm and he will grow into the
country life and come to love 1t for
good. After that he longs for the city
'fe. He wants to get back to it. Coun-
try life amnses him for only a few
weeks Sooner or later, he'll run off
back to the city Both the Juvenile
Asylum recognize the fact that boy
over fifteen is too old to be reformed
- e. le <,f
children a year to Texas homes and
country homes about here, but when
asked Mr.. Brace the other day to send
4 boy of mine to farm, Sorry he
wrote back, but the boys too old
les sixteen Of course, you CAM
make hard and fast rules. You can't
always tell how child will turn out,
is the Polish woman said when she
,ame to tell how her little girl had
lied. ut was so sudden. She seemed
| to be getting well. We did everything
| 'or her We gave her everything she
wanted-beer and soup and plums'
"And don't understand me as speak
ng against vacations in the country.
| I believe in all the fresh air excur-
sions you can get up. But what
mean is that the bad boy who has
passed fifteen is bound to revert to his
home and friends in the city, if he's
got any, and it's in his home that you
must try to reform him.
"Not every country home is suitable
| FOR a boy, either. | know OF very
Jew that l would consider ideal. There
ought at any rate to be a lot of woods,
| Ind a brook, and a pond, if possible
yes, by all means pend; and good
discipline, with hardly any rules for
anybody to break. In fact, the two
Rbest country homes that I have In
Emind are the Be. shire Industrial Farm
at Canaan Four Corners, N. Y, and
he personal home OF Mr.. George al
the George Junior Republic.
Il generally begin by taking boy
, home with me for three or four days
, And he hasn't been with me man,
hhours before a domestic tragedy (tt
Il his mind) occurs in which the BIO,
e land the bath tub play the leading roles
: I rreatises might be written on the up
: lifting influences Of cleanliness. When
lever | come upon very bad boy,
o an sure to find very dirty boy a
I we'll. Well, try to get on friendl
erms with the boy and be with him
lot and find out what the matter is
I and then l try to find him a goo
b Shome, with people of his station Il
A life-an aunt or an uncle il they ar
decent people, or | have him go home
keeping in touch with a friendly Wis
t kitor,' If the home Is not too foul arr
Y 4 the environment not too unsuitable
. sThen | find work for him, The pleas
lure of having the money to spend ant
the help and encouragement he receive!
do great deal to keep him goin.
: straight