Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-01-06

found after storm at the base of a
tree wee speckled shells of blue. and
took them home to mother to be told
they were robins eggs and to begin
collection of birds eggs then and
there. To be friend of the trees,-
to know the birch and the beech, the
ash and the aspen, the oak and the
elm, not because you have learned |
to identify them in the park from pic. |
lures of their leaves in a book, but |
because you have grown up with GER
tain oaks and elms,-that is some
thing worth while.
A country boys sports help in his
making, but a city boys in his un-
making. What is there comparable
with the journey made by the crowd
on Saturday mornings in summer,
across the field land how the stubble
of the wheat hurts your bare feet)
through the small woods, to the swim
ming pond for a good splash, and
contests in speed and endurance,
races in water and out, encountered
by garments. Then, the silent crafty
mornings spent with rough rod and
no reel, at the creekside, in combat
with fnny antagonists,-t fishing
Those hours add something to the
country boys equipment, healthful
enjoyment of thoughtful, contempla-
tive hours, that stand, and have stood
him, in good stead, something that
the city boy in the rush and rattle can
never have. For these pleasures, our
city life substitutes perplexing maze
or socllled enjoyments, theatres and
such,-so many of them that none
leaves tie slightest impression, and
sense of distraction and a conse-
quent inability to concentrate on any
ore particular thing is the only result.
From the time the city boy of our day
is able to take notice." he has his
little hands tucked full of toys. 1t is
toys from that day on; ever and ever
more toys; from doting father, pro-
pitiating mother, pleading auntie and
adoring friends of the family.
The country youngster in search Of
amusement and occupation for his
mind starts cut, perhaps, with his dog
on woodland tramp, during which
his keen observation makes him mas
ter Of new facts and gives him new
food for thought. Your city young
ster, in general your youngster of to-
ud!, DelHB threatened WIN ennul, re-
members a new kind of toy he has
seen In shop window and makes ev-
cry ones life miserable with petitions
for money until he gets it, The boy
who has everything that he wants al.
ready manufactured at his hand, and
only needs to wheedle money to buy
1t. in the long run will not stand any
chance with the boy whose resource
iulness has been trained so that he
can make something out of wood
that will do as we'll" The logical cor
receive to this artificiality, this sophis-
tication, is more outdoor life more of
the simple living with nature that
gives a boy backbone and substance,
gives him love for the large real
things of the world, to take the place
of the admiration for the fripperies
which is growing about him more and
more.
1t is quality not cleverness, that
one wants in boy. There is no deny
ing that the youths of today are clev-
err; clever with their kindergarten way
about a great many things The plays
and toys of one will have led him into
some sort of knowledge of electricity;
one may have set up printing press
CT his own; one may do little drawing
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