The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-04-10
THE BOY A PRECIOUS GIFT.
HOW MANY FATHERS FAIL TO
UNDERSTAND SONS.
eoYs SHOULD BE RESPECTED

braska Teachers at the Auditorium
on the Training Of the Boy.
The boy is the most precious gift
that is to be had in all this universe.
Forty times as many boys go wrong
as girls There is a wrong way and
right way to bring up boy. The
successful bringing up of son into
honorable manhood Is matter of far
more Importance than most fathers
attach to 1t; matter of infinitely
more Importance than so-called sue
cess in business or in politics; and a
matter that is a tremendously difficult,
an everlasting puzzle-problem. If we
knew just what to do always with the
boy, there would be no trouble in this
world. But we don't. And most fa-
theirs never take the time off to study
into the boy or to try to solve the
problems presented in his upraising
These were some of the points for
chilly and interestingly brought out in
an effective lecture delivered Friday
night at the Auditorium by A. e. Win
ship of Boston, editor of the New Eng
land Journal of Education, who spoke
| for an hour and half to northern
Nebraska teachers and several hun
dred other persons.
Three Stages In a Boys Life.
There are three distinct stages in
a boys life: The first six years, when
he has opportunity without freedom;
the next six years. when he has free
dom with strings tied to it; and the
next six years, when he is being
trained for freedom in the world with
out restriction.
During the first six years a boy is
altogether under his mothers care. If
he learns during this period that when
he whines, he will get what he wants;
that when he yells, his mother will
carry him; that when he screams, his
father will carry him; and that when
he holds his breath, the whole family
will rush to his assistance, the boy,
according to Mr.. Winship, has a ticket
| to perdition.
is given an increasing number of lib
critics, with always some restrictions.
During this period he should be rea-
soned with, not scolded impatiently
upon slightest provOcation. He should
learn to know that when he makes a
mistake, his father is the one person
in the world to talk things over with.
He must not be forced into lying
| about his mistakes.
Boys Must Be Respected.
Every boy, to be made the most of,
must be respected. By the age Of
twelve he must be known as a man.
He must be respected by men. He
must not be called baby names. Moth
ing does he detest more than this.
No man who ever respected boys,
has occasion to complain that boys
fail to respect their elders. Men who
respect boys, their opinions, their
manhood, never complain of the boys.
If father wants to drive his boy
away from him, he merely wants to
turn loose flow of impatient scolding
whenever he happens to feel like it,
without any regard to the feelings of
the boy. Some fathers will scold and
storm ferociously one moment and a
half hour later hand the boy a half
dollar to go get tobacco with. That
father need not wonder when the boy
grows up why the son leaves home
and hates his father more than any
other man on earth
Fathers should study their boys, be
companions with their boys. They
should always give the boys a chance
to argue on things they want to do
When a boy wants to do certain
thing, the father should sit down and
talk it over calmly and deliberately
giving consideration to the boys
points. If he wants his boy to hate
him, he should stamp his foot, order
the boy to be silent, because 'Tve
seen a good deal more OF the worlt
than you have, and know" or "Wher
was fourteen l never did those
things, and it's strange that yot
should have to. No. Now don't both
er me with that again"
Only Two Great Presidents.
This country has only had two grea
presidents. They were Washington
and Lincoln. Washington knew JET
ferson was his htterest enemy OF
earth, but appointed him secretary o
state. Lincoln knew Seward to be IA
from his friend, but appointed hin
secretary of state. These men wer'
great enough to do that. They dare'
: to do 1t. They never made an i'm
portant move without asking thei
; secretary of states written opinion
Then they did what they pleased. Blu
they were shrewd enough to have bot
tiled up the objections of these tw'
enemies. They had put them on rec
ord.
Put your boy on record. Let hin
give you all his arguments. The
|. ask him for arguments against doin
a certain thing. And nine times on