Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-16
The Plans and the Policies
Of Cony High,
IIpt LdRue Outlines Them for
Journal Readers.
How Augusta Boys and Girls Are
Prepared for Life Work,

Nothing more interesting than that
line of high school pupils that winds
past your window five days in the
week. You are reviewing the next
generation. the unconscious prophets
Of an age that will shame ours. DO
you criticise their Gippancy and aim
hssness? Is there sometimes too
much .giddy soaring. too much inna-
ton for the ballast? Are they unsafe
inheritors Of our vast spiritual pos
sessions? Possibly even we need 20
:. take care that we bequoath to them
our best only. making Of the devil a
resduary lesat"r. When the history
Is all written, their pages will stand in
less need Of cmbcllishmcnt than ours.
And however pert, glib, superficial and
caprcious they may appear. they are
bound for the very MAINLAND woman
factory that will turn out a finished
| poduct-weil, q little better, at least,
than the raw material that enters it.
Possibly they are lacking in self
| control have seen wooden horses
and dummy Indians that were per
fectly self-controlied But this virtue
was much like that OF the coward, who
finds it 50 easy to forgive his enemies.
There is no self-control where there is
nothing to be controlled. THE good
die young" They couldn't do other
wise-a centain kind of good---for they
lack the nervous force necessary to
life and self-cxprcssion. They are not
| good however in the best sense of the
word They are what the applepicker
calls "windfalls." ripening early and
Ealing soon because Of their blight
The better specimens, both OF apples
and high school students, may retain
their greenness and bad taste for a
time
But SO far as self-control is con-
erned, we need to remember that a
young child moves vigorously at
nndom before it can engage in any
port of regulated activity. 1 have re-
emily learned of child whose first
recess in his efforts to stand erect
sused him to break forth in cries of
eHght. Nature gives the elemental
power before she thinks it necessary
provide a regulator for it. When
Jour boy learns to write. it is not 50
much muscle that he needs to develop
he already has enough of that:
aning to write, like other physical
Eercises, is really a coronation cere-
aony, making the child real king
mer his body. able to direct all
Nlnntary muscular activity. So the
npetuous high school girl or sWaggcr-
as boy feels all sorts OF things break
ag loose in his consciousness. 1t is
q time of storm and earthquake; the
hl. small voice. the Sound of gentle
alness" will come later-and not all
ue inclined to wrap their heads in a
sahtle to wait for it. Psychologicaliy
Eeakng, their inhibitory ccntcrs are
yet somewhat undcvelopcd. TO
| INK IS to act. Fools and children
bat lie" They are not such good
ssemblers and hypocrites as we older
J sscalS AS for us. with our we'll
sNoved nervous paths, set reactions.
0d lives pretty well reduced to con-
Atlonality, we must depend upon the
! asmories Of our old calf loves and |
4 aelc hates and general scatterations |
nervous force, to serve as the inter-
seefs Of youth. We are approaching |
!. Stage of fossiiZation.
Is not merely self-control. how
3 ser' that these young people need. 1t
knowledge and the consequent |
Ssef of selidirection. SO far, they |
s'e looked anywhere but in them
yves Tor Information, and their chief
sue mas been obedience to external
n sISsnands This is as it should be.
4 ~ w. boy who hangs to mothers apron
Z lug shows his sense in entrusting !
n alSeI to guidance superior to MS
y sa a he ought not to free himself
" ss @ey from those leading strings
@~ ne is as old as his mother. But
& SUBJECT youth forever to commands
Il NJ i" ueny it forever an ethical person.
n ~ 10 commit the fatal severance of
3 ass thought and courageous. indie
! et action. With every new day.
II. ehlld must make more individual
Gs Than he did yesterday. You
ea mis- first clothes, but he will
,' ay select your last ones. And
81 M uS clothing merely, but food, re-
;FM ks. petupdllOHS, COM pdI1lOH- |
4 ~ become more and more the ex-
h, s'ons Of his developing inner life.
M uihlnlshingly a mere reflector of
.iiient and increasingly a maker
rohment for others.
~ Sa,o-is man is entitled to three great
Work, wife and worship. There
~. W. parental advice in each case,
sm;. ere should be no parental de-
.,a a'ation. The mother who conse-
ahs,,sa good stone mason to the
Ia N.Y. nv, consecrates him to failure,
p beihaps causes much suffering in
= Iora 'sty efforts to evengelize the
Il. MI infant engagements are farces
(sef when royalty sometimes amuses
4 pens - ..s lor the church, if it's door
kN 'oo early. it is liable to be closed
4e nan, Yang later, and from the out
la,,v" h,le these choices should not
We made before youthful |