The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-05-10
TRAINING THE BOY
ONE SYSTEM THAT HAS HAp
GOOD RESULTS.
Younester Was Put on His Honor a.
an Early Age, and Father 10 Sat
isfied the Method ls
Good.

>
My boy was really a pretty good
sort. Perhaps If he hadn't been he
would not have turned out well under
my system; but, then, il he hadn't
been good sort | wouldn't have pro.
ceeded on that system. / watched
him carefully before / decided that it
would be wise to do as l did, says q
writer in the New York Press.
When he was about seven years old
! caught him in lie. He was trying
to hide a trivial childish offense, and
| was more amused than shocked, but
wishing to be sure of my ground,
told his mothels he was lying. She
would not believe 1t at first, but, be-
coming convinced she was for whip
ping him.
Leave him to me-" said 1--WE will
have no more whipping. He is old
enough now for different treatment"
Then | took him aside and talked ia
him somewhat after the following
fashion:
You and are going to have a great
deal to do with each other as long as
we both live, and it is best that we
understand each other from the start
want you to know positively that SO
long as you do right l am going to
be your best friend on earth, aside
from your mother. 1t makes no diff
ference what trouble you may get into
shall always stand by you as long az
you remember what l am now telling
you. But there are two things you
must never forget. You mustn't tell
lie, and you mustn't do anything
else that you don't think a gentleman
would do.
You know the difference now be.
tween gentleman and another man,
and you will learn it more definitely
later on. But the one important thing
now is not to lie. If you lie to me
will be pretty sure to find it out.
and you will have to get out of your
trouble yourself the best way you
can. l will not lift a finger to help
you"
l went over this ground again and
again as carefully as l could, in Ian
guase fitted to his years, until he
thoroughly understood me, and | was
satisfied that he would not forget it.
And from that day, Is years ago, unit;
now, l have never added a syllable tc
what | then told him. l have never
caught him in a lie or doing an un.
gentlemanly thing. He trusts me alb
solutely and comes to me often for
counsel, but all | do when it touches
general principles is to reiterate those
two rules. | have never even sug
sested religious training to him, be
lieving that neither / nor anyone else
has the right to influence him in his
own choice. | have never punished
him since he was ten, and then only
by keeping him in the house for some
trifing disobedience. | have never
since he was IL said: you must not
| have never interfered with any OF
his plans, or denied him anything he
wanted that it was reasonably possible
to get for him.
Result: He is clean, healthy
minded, young man, with faults. but
no serious ones that l can discover
and he still lives with me. He cared
little for school and his education ir
books, while it is fair. is not what }
would like it to be, but on the other
hand he picks up practical. outside
knowledge with wonderful facility anG
accuracy, being a natural mechanic
and business man.
When he was 81 ! had despaired OF
his future. He had never given me
any trouble, but he seemed to amount
to nothing. He had not found, and
could not find for him. the right place
He was barely earning his living, but
there seemed to be no prospect of
more.
When he was %, still working for
small salary, he seemed to wake up
He and chum started small com
mission business, working at it after
office hours. In six months time he
gave up his salary. Six months later
he bought out his partner. Within the
next year he bought his own plant and
Is now doing a fine business with sew
EN- high-priced employees. In a few
years he will be rich.
He is gentleman. He does not lie
am satisfied.