Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-21
A PLEA FOR THE YOUNG
Distinguished Visitor Comments on
Local Child Study Circle
Catherine

Los ANGELES, Dec. 19.-Editor
Herald: l have just been shown your
very proper notice of Mr.. Dodd's ad-
dress before the Highland Park Child
Study circle. Being a new arrival in
the city and one that has given his
life, thus far, to the interests and
guarding Of the young. I am glad for
your kindly notice and those kindred
spirited people, Mr.. Dodd, Judge Wilbur
and the wise Circle that made the
notice possible.
How fearful is our guilt in the neglect
OF the oncoming generation, in whose
hands will soon be held the welfare and
destiny of our beloved country. to say
nothing of the far greater importance
of that of the immortal individuals
themselves so many of whom are being
swept down to ruin by the evil in
fuences of which Mr.. Dodd has given
such appropriate and timely warning.
And how small, feeble and made
quate, considered in the midst of our
vast and ever-growing urban popula-
t1ons, must be that little "circle" of
noble toiling women out there at High
land Park and others of likeness. while
the vast throng of madly rushing dol
lar grabbers and crime feasters hastily
turn down everything in the news
papers that looks toward the benefit Of
the young. With nina so laden with
such interests and worth. while con-
Versing with a large farmer and stock
feeder iii western state he asked me:
Mr.. A., you seew so interested in the
training of the young, who don't you
write a book on the subject?" l re-
Piled; Mr.. S., suppose l should and
no parent should question my ability
ba ,;ol
every boy and girl would grow up to
be a man or woman of the grandest,
noblest type, and at the same time you,
with your known ability, should write a
book on stock feeding" Seeing
through my questions he cut me off
with: "Oh! thunder! I'd sell hun
ored to your one; money in cattle and
hogs; none in boys and girls"
Parents, so many of them ready to
escape the sacred responsibilities of
their children, turn over their destnies
to their teachers, so many of them
with no heart for their charge, except
as there is money in the work, and,
out of school hours rushing madly after
the dollar, society, amusement, fash
ions and show, pass them by with less
interest than in so many rats, except
as often tWitted and provoked to sauci-
IeSS ana vie ways DN lllc lllnullldll
classes and lured by the thoughtless
buffers of poisonous smoke to the use
of the deadly cigarette, and, step by
STEP on the downward way TO ruin and
lives of misery, trouble and shame.
Oh, that "the better classes" would
but spare a little time in the giddy
melee of life for a passing kind word
to the neglected, helpless street chill
dren. This suggestion will, To the aver
age reader, appear Il small thing, un-
worthy of even thought | often get
the reply that they will only treat one
with sauce and contempt" 1t is a
fearful mistake. If properly approached
it. is the rare one that will return any
thing but proper and even grateful
responses, and even that rare one will,
under wise treatment, soon come to
appreciate the true friend. And what
qualifications is half so worthy of study
and practice if we can but bring the
best reasoning TO contemplate the vast
importance of such work If observed
to an extent appropriate i'm an enlight-
ened community such work-easy, beau
tiful. fascinating with the qualifications
acuuircd-would, i'm a short time,
largely reduce the police force and con-
vert jais and prisons into happy homes
and places of enlightened industries.
T. j. ALLEY.