The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1908-05-28
PROVIDING FOR BOYS.
The Red-Blooded Boy Must Have
Somethinu TO Do


The following was written for the
parent of the country-town boy, but
it is so well written that we prefer
to publish it as it is, and let each
parent adapt it to his own case. The
article is taken from the Fort Worth
Telegram:
Every so often there may be found
in almost any newspaper paragraph
like the following from the Denison
Herald:
Parents who allow their boys to
run on the streets late at night need
not be surprised if sooner or later they
get into trouble No greater mistake
can be made than to allow boys to
feel that they are beyond the restraint
of the home life"
Not SO often are there paragraphs
gaging in this very natural pastime.
All the gorgeously colored pictures
portraying the joys of home usually
painted by men who have lived most
of their lives in boarding houses) do
not offer much appeal to the healthy,
red-cOrpuscled boy who knows that to
stay at home after supper means sit
ting in room where father is reading
the paper and must not be disturbed
by talking, and where mother is u.s.
ually busy at her work basket 1t is
easy to say Give the boys books and
magazines to read" but only about one
boy in ten can endure seven nights
reading week and even the tenth
will find it hard work keeping up the
program unless constant supply Of
literature which particularly interests
him is supplied.
Also it is easy to say Find out the
boys natural bent and let him follow
it." Yet it is not SO easy to clean up
shavings after lad who wants to be
a carpenter or to say in the house
with one who wants to be musician
and persist in practicing on the cor
net.
The problem of keeping boys at
home and keeping them interest is not
an easy one. 1t can not be solved at
all unless parents are willing to make
considerable sacrifice and take an in
terest in everything that interests
their children.
Most boys for the greater part of
the year are interested in athletics.
For such an outlay of less than $40
ought to supply enough gymnastic ap-
paratus sufficient to keep two or three
boys occupied any night when they
are not inclined to other sports. 1t
is a good deal better to have your boy
pummeling the boy Of your next door
neighbor with a pair Of boxing gloves
in your woodshed than to have him
lounging around street corners doing
nothing. A black eye occasionally, a
sprain acquired in a gymnasium, or
even a broken bone, is better than
set of twisted morals or a broken code
of ideals such as may be obtained by
promiscuous association with other
boys who have nothing to do.
If the boy has a scientific turn, and
is fond of making experiments, moth
ing will please him better than cheap
miscroscope and guide book on how
to use it, Evenings for whole year
can be spent examining such simple
things as bread, meat and vegetables
and to draw outlines of what the mi
croscope shows offers practical as well
as interesting work.
The vital thing is to show an inter
est in what interests the boy, and to
share his enthusiasm. He will get
over the enthusiastic period soon
enough, and when he looks back to 1t
in later years it will be pleasant
memory to recall that his parents
were the best and truest friends he
ever had.