The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-07-05
HE AMERICAN BOY


period Of boyhood; the forming Of
false ideals is where the teacher must
assume the responsibility delegated
her Gn loco parcntis) and help TO up
root the conceptions and realization
Of wrong ideals.
Character, the true foundation OF
manhood, is as yet Uniformed. Out
OF chaos must come order. School
life,with its joys and sorrows, It's tears
Of defeat. its smiles Of success, il but
synonomous with the mandate: "Let
there he light, and, oh, what re-
fraction Of elfulgence is streaming in
on the pathway Of the 2Oth- century
boyl
The little log school house fades
from view, oversbadowed by struc
lures OF brick and stone with their
laboratories and libraries. The little
short JACKET has "sprouted tails, and
the battered cap used as humble bee
weapon, drinking cup and kerchief
combined, has been replaced by a
soft felt hat, aud instead Of a slate
pencil in the mouth Sir Walters
memory is kept green by cigarette.
In keeping pace with the age the
boy in spite Of the killing pace and
'stony track" il drawn into the yor
tex Of money getting, battling with
the giants and dragons who are guard.
ing the palace containing the golden
caskets. None but the sluggard or
dolt can view the mad race and not
be- drawn in. Like the lrishman who
when be saw a crowd collecting sent
his little girl 10 inquire II there was
going 30 be row, "Cos. II So, dad
wanted b. be in H." The Saxon
blood is up. All the latent fireworks,
enthusiasm, ambition, energy, tact
aud nerve are generating spontaneous
combustion. and meteor Ike they are
constantly flashing heayenward light.
ing with glory the admiring crowd
Of gazers below
There was a time when great abil
ity in boys was not valued so much
as usefulness in little things Al
small boy once applied for a place ia
the home Of one Of our great states
men and was asked what he could
do. lie said he could do the alpha
bet backwards, tell how many times
begat occurred in the Bible and recite
the Boy stood ON the burning deck"
Every good, said the man, but can
you split kindlingsy'
Uriah Heaps father would have
been a poor teacher Tor the boys Of
today in his injunction 10 his son:
"Humbleness il the chief thing, there
fore be humble" We're little uriah
living today he would doubtless be-
placed under a glass ease "a "A speci
men, stuck up on a pedestal aud
quoted 10 sinful little boys, like copy
book maxims, or his humble virtues
set forth in a gilt framed and glazed
certificate. and handed down as an
heirloom 30 posterity-as a souvenir
Of the garden Of Eden period, before
boys plucked and ate OF the tree Of
knowledge
So many wiseacrcs write lengthy
philosophical articles nowadays on
the art Of being oonteuted They
make me tired. What would the
world be without ambitious people
"They are the salt Of the earth, " the
"Leayen that leavens the whole
lump"
They get up early and rattle and
drive aud bang aud hammer all day,
while You contented, happy people,
awakened by their noise, merely turn
over in bed for just another little
doze. They never plan, but their
motto is simply this; Let every day
provide for itself Truly humble,
contented individuals, like the Jerusa.
lem pony, Happy anywhere, treated
any way" are at discount in the
rush. No boy Of the present pro-
gressiye age can afford 20 smoke the
"hcokah Of contentment, or >eat the
'lotus leaves OF Incidence" but let
him launch out and exult in breast
ing the heaving pillows; in exerting
his strength in the athletic wrestle, OF
in enduring hardness as a good soldier
on the field Of battle. And, if he
fail, why
'rhc rapture Of pursuing
Is the prize the vanquahed gain