Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1907-11-29
TRAINING THE BOY
ONE SYSTEM THAT HAS HAD
GOOD RESULTS.
Younsster Was Put on His Honor at
n Early Age, and Father ls Sat
lsfied the Method Is
Good.

|
My boy was really a pretty good
sort. Perhaps IL he hadn't been he
would not have turned out we'll under
my system; but, then. II he hadn't
been a good sort I wouldn't have pro-
seeded on that system. watched
him carefully before l decided that 1t
would be wise to do as l did, says n
writer In the New York Press.
When he was about seven years old
l caught him In n lie. He was trying
to hide a trivial. childish offense. and
| was more amused than shocked, but.
wishing to BIO sure OF my ground, l
told his mother he was lying. She
would not believe 1t at first, but. be-
coming convinced she was for whip
ping him.
Leave him to me-" 1 said. I'VE will
have no more whipping. He Is old
enough now for different treatment"
hen l took him aside and talked to
him somewhat after the following
fashion:
You and l are going to have n great
deal to do with each rther 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 | am going to
be your best friend or earth, aside
from your mother. II makes no diff
terence what trouble you may get into,
l shall always stand by you as long as
you remember what | am now telling
you. But there are two things you
nnCt nnVnr fnrunf Won rN,--ff fA,1
a lie. and you mustn't do anything
else that you don't think a gentleman
would do.
You know the difference now be.
tween a gentleman and another man,
and you will learn 1t more definitely
later on. But the one important thing
now Is not to lie. II you lie to me
Will be pretty sure to find II out,
and o will have to get out OF your
trouble yourself the best way you
can. l will not lift a finger to help
you"
went over this ground again and
again as carefully as I could, in lam
guage fitted to his years, until he
thoroughly understood ME, and | was
satisfied that he would not forget k
And from that day, Is years ago. until
now. i have never added u syllable TO
what l then told him. | have never
caught him in a lie or doing an I'm.
gentlemanly thing. He trusts me abb
soiutely and comes to me often for
counsel, but all | do when II touches
general principles is to reiterate those
two rules. l nave never even sug-
gested religious training to him, be-
lieving hat neither | nor anyone else
has the right to influence him In his
W choice. | have never punished
him since he was ten, and then only
by keeping him In the house for some
triling disobedIence. I have never
since he was IL said: You must not"
| have never lnterfered with any OF
his plans, or denied him anything he
wanted that 1t was reasonably possible
to get for him.
Result: He Is a clean, healthy
minded, young man, with faults, but
no serious ones that / can discover,
and he still lives with me. He cared
little for school and his education in
books, while II Is far, is not what
would like 1t to be, but on the other
hand he picks up practical, outside
knowledge with wonderful facility and
accuracy, being n natural mechanic
and business man.
When he was 81 / had despaired OF
his future. He had never given mo
any trouble, but he seemed to amount
to nothing. He had not found, and
could not find for him. the right place.
lie was barely earning his living, but
there seemed to be no prospect OF
more.
When he was %, still working for q
small salary, he seemed to wake up.
He and a chum started a small com.
mission business, working at II 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 hts own plant and
Is now doing n fine business with sew.
en- hlgh-priced employees. In a few
years he will be rich.
He lisa gentleman. He does not lie
| Qm satisfied.