The Washington times., 1908-09-01
STRANGE BOY PUPIL
WHO IS NOW FIFTY
Aged Man Has Been Re
turned to Childhood and
a School.

A boy hfty-three years old. who viii
not go home. to say nothing Of estab-
fishing a home of his own, is problem
in which might be called second peda-
gogy which the Children's Aid Society
OF New York is. being called on 10 solve.
For, although the societys work is i'm
tied TO children, and this gray-haired
man is technically beyond the province
of its aid, what Is 70 be done with a ten
year-old mind in a ffty-three-year-o
body? asks the New York Tribune. So
the regulations have been stretched
little in this case 10 cover aid for sec
ond childhood. Besides. what else can
be done? FoT the last ten years Of this
mans second childhood he has been
dealt with repeatedly as a man. Mans
work has been found for him. because
I'm matters OF mere manual labor he is
an adult Mans wages and mans indie
pendence have been provided for him
time after time. But nothing viii over
come the ehnds homing instinct in him,
and after a week or two he returns
you can't rightly call it running away
from his job to the Brace Farm School
at Valhalla. which he regards as his
established home.
A Boy of Fifty.
This boy, approaching his three
score Of years. was not always a boy.
Unlike Peter Pan, he did grow up, but
then grew down again. so TO speak.
Once he was the prosperous and re-
spected superintendent of one Of the
most fashionable OF the clubs for men
IN the metropolis. There he was liked
and respected but in his supervision
OF the rare wines and liquors in the
clubs cellars he found It impossible to
leave drink alone. He tried to over
come his weakness. but could not do
so. At last, one of the club members
sought Charles Loring Brace. secre-
tary OF the Children's Aid Society, and
asked If there wasn't something they
could do for the man, who was be-
coming a nervous wreck
send him out TO the farm school
for a little rest cure. The fresh air
and change OF scene and absence Of
temptation viii help him. was the re-
ply SO the man went out for a week s
stay, ana has been there ten years He
stopped drinking, and has not touched
a drop for three years He is a model
member of the community. But 10
dtulEhE iAlS pteltht-s ne PASSED LtOUl
mans estate, mentally, to that Of a
boy. The slate Of his mind was washed
clean, bot his muscles and physique in
creased under the good diet the fresh
air and outdoor exercise
He is not idle and works for his
keep. He has taken 10 himself the
Job of keeping the great barns land
dairy buildings swept out. At times
he keeps them almost too clean, con-
tinues to sweep when there is far
more important work TO be done, but
he is d specialist with a broom, and
does not care for general practice on
the farm.
Retains Some Memory.
Occasionally he has dim memory OF
days Of grown authority and perhaps
orders some of the boys around a lit
tie. He reads one newspaper religious
ly from cover to cover. He wants one
Of the sensational afternoon newspa-
Ters. He does not require that it reach
him on the day of issue. If il comes
the day afterward ii is all right. and II
the Saturday edition does not arrive
@atil Monday noon he IS perfectly sat
isfied. For having started ten years
behind the news of the day, what does
twenty-four hours matter? There is no
call for action on his part in the pa
Ter, and although he reads the political
L
nothing can induce him to vote. He
never discusses what he reads, never
laughs al the funny pictures. lie 1usI
reads seriously, and, having read, goes
back to sweeping his barn, and sWeeps
10 the same, whether Taft be nominated
or an earthquake happens in san Fran
cisco.
Treated Kindly.
The attitude of the boys themselves
toward the senior student is in itself a
study When these boys from twelve to
seventeen first come 20 the farm from
unrestrained life in New York streets
TO be drilled enough 10 make them ac-
Ccptable farm hands in the West and
South, they are rather mystifed by the
strange bearing of this permanent COM
rade. AT first they may resent a little
his ways Of authority and observance Of
tradition, but they soon come to under
stand, and, instead of plaguing the OLD
man, treat hli.s kindly.
For his strange affliction seems To
gain fer him immunity from pranks
The little boys at the farm. the small
chaps who have been abandoned ~
their parents or have been taken away
from bad surroundings and are being
cared for until a foster hume can be
found for thems soon learn % love the
cid man. who, half child himself l.,
kind TO the little folks. Long ago the
farm auth0rities ceased TO wonder what
they could do for their life student
They have accepted the inevitable. and
he will probably be there and continue
10 have his daily paper one day late
until that time when he leaves the
school for good. and perhaps wakes
in another sphere with his old faculties
restored