Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-02-18

drivers whip ana AT the same time
give some smaller boy a push which
lands him on his head in the nearest
snowdrift. lis he not continually
whistling and shouting and hammer
ing and whittling and cutting and
marking and smashing and making
something: No task is too arduous il
it is what he wants to do and he fire.
xuently wants to do the things that
are difficult for him to do. No
amount of exertion will dishearten
him if he sees beyond it all the things
he wants. The fact that boy is rude
and noisy and destructive often sub
.lectS him TO harsh criticism but as
Secretary Shaw recently said in an
address "these are bu5 the expression
Ut that energy which makes him
creature worth raising, it is the prom
Use of future power Is it not true
that we often make mistake in try
ing 10 curb this energy instead OF Civ
ing the proper opportunity for its eX-
ercise? Instead OF providing gym
nasium, shop, a field. or a play
ground where this restless enthusiasm
and activity may find proper vent for
itself and result in development of
great value to the lad we turn him
out into the street to shift for him
self where his restless disposition soon
leads him into habits harmful to him
self and dangerous to society. Our
boy needs to be lived with more, eS-
pecially on the part of the father in
business or professional life. The son
ri such a man does not see enough of
his father. He may be the lad who
came to his mother crying THAT
man that stays here nights has been
whipping me-"
We have now noticed what the boy
is he is powerful, he learns quickly
and likes to learn and wants to know
the why, he is tire'ess; he is possessed
e,f high ambition, world of good ma
ture, and an insatiablaIdesire for mas
terry, mastery OF things and OF life.
We have seen what he is to become
Il man who is destined to conquer and
co use the earth. the air, the water
and all the material forces about him
RS never has been done before. a man
who will so hold these forces within
his sway as to bring within the reach
of all mankind such development,
such privileges and suc1 happiness as
have been hitherto unknown. And
this he is to accomplish, not by some
good luck or get-rich-quick scheme,
but by keen, trained intellect direct
ing pair of skillful hands.
How then shall we help him: |
would say first, teach shim to know
himself. Not by permitting him to
follow his own inclination and present
desires entirely following the line OF
least resistance may n do for water,
which always runs doIn hill. but it
will not answer for man if he would
progress but by so guiding and di-
recting his activities that they may
Bring him early to the realization Of
his own powers. He says he cannot
earn, and does not care TO learn. gram
mar and physiology and spelling and
so quits school Teach him to see I'M
the mastering Of his grammar les
sons, his arithmetic problems and his
spelling lessons day after day the very
training which will really help him
afterwards in the work of the world.
Teach him that regularity and pune
quality and faithfulness at school and
about the home as a boy. are absolute
sy essential if he would master easily
any kind OF business. Teach him to
guard his weaknesses, to develop his
powers, to realize the possibilities
that lie wrapped up within himself.
When he comes to recognize that 1T is
not SO much knowledge of facts that
ne is trying to gain in school as it is
discipline of mind and power to think
then he will not be so anxious to
shorten the term of his school attend
.lnce. | say we must teach him to see
the need OF a trained mind in sound
Npdy. When he does see in that the
ak which will clear the obstacles from
his path, the tool which will master
Tor him the universe, the key which
will unlock for him the treasures
which lie hidden ia field or mountain,
the open sesame which will clear for
him through the jostling crcwd of
competitors pathway II success and
happiness: when he seel that all this
is to be accomplishe Through the
guidance of trained, lied intellect
then our boys will n drop out of
school at twelve or fifteen years of age
then the discipline and grind of the
school room will not prove irkSome,
then our boys will rush to the school
room as eagerly as they do to the ath-
letc field for a practice game of foot
ball; then they will stick to the prob
lem till il is solved as they do 10 the
mysteries Of pitching an '.in, = an
out, or a drop" 1t is related Of a