The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-08
FATHER BEST ADVISER
Young Man Detesta "Good ADVICE
Should Have Secured the Know
ledge in Early Years.

Washington Herald: AS a matter
Of stern, hard common sense truth,
most Of that advice which today is
given to the young man in person,
long before ought to have been i'm
pressed upon the father, in order that
the growing boy and young man might
have been made open to all else that
may come to him in spoken advice
and personal experience.
To make spoken advice acceptable
to youth and young man most needing
II will have to be in a frame Of mind
to accept 1t. Advice" is q word that
is not relished by youth. In general 1t
is the advice of the old man, perhaps
fond of talking and who obtrudes IL
upon the boy. To the youngster the
speaker 10 an "old FOSSIL" He is
dwelling in his own past that has been
buried for a generation. --e Is not up
with the times. He is likely TO be ten
or twenty years behind modern
methods, everywhere.
No one is quicker to determine such
a state of mind in the adviser than is
the young man. He grows to detest
the good advice that the older per-
son pushes upon him without invita-
/ ton.
I'm bet he was as bad as any of
u.s." says the young man to his fell
lows, and they join him in the laugh
that follows
But in case OF fathers I'm tens of
thousands of cases, that father knows
enough to make chummy overtures
toward his son. That old, distatC al,
grim, dogmatic father belongs to an
other age. The trouble is that in the
reaction the modern father has gone
little TOO far the other way in the
direction Of an extreme. Boys will
be boys" he says to himself, and
often before he realizes 1t he has for n
son the physique OF a man and the
mentality that should be a boys
His adolescent son never has felt
the weight Of a serious responsibility
which tomorrow out in the world he
may have to shoulder. He is In no
ondition-physical or mental--to set
tie down to his apprenticeship to the
world Of workers. But the time has
come for him to do something to
earn his living, and he must set 20
work ignorant of how to settle down
to 1t.
In many respects the old fashioned.
puritagical, czarlike father was the
better type OF parent for starting his
boy in life. He had pressed home to
the son shat sons responsibilities as
to conduct, as to responsibilities OF
work and study. When the old-f fash
toned father said: "Do it." the old
fashioned SON either did that thing. or
after misplaced lack of knowledge OF
his parent, ran away from home. But
today there are thousands OF mature
men who are tEanlcing their dead
and buried fathers for the seemingly
hard, severe training that was ad-
ministered them in their youth.
Authorities on the structure Of the
human brain assert that the brain
physical structural growth until the
person is rs years old, after which its
correlated rotor centers and the con-
vultions OF the frontal brain are re-
ceptive In adult degree.
4 Does not this suggest that in lectur-
ing the average young man under LIS
years old, and forcing upon mis- half
deaf ears the old aphorisms of old age
that efforts Of this kind most likely
1 will prove Intellectual and vain? Their
| II is just here that the father who mas
| his sons confidence and chummy
good fellowship may do more than ali
the schools ever built--if only he viii
set to work.
know a father who is wisely fol-
lowing this principle OF training his
son at home in those thigs that do
| not reach MIN In school. He is a
good business man himself. He has
young men in his employ and he
i knows in practical degree just where
these young men are falling short
| Occasionally he has necessity TO fire
some young man for cause. But never
under any circumstances where !
| young man lS discharged or In a con
dttiOn TO merit discipline, does ttia
father fail to bring home to his sor
an object lesson which Is put In way
to interest and hold attention or tina
Is year old son. He has this polni
Of approach:
*Tou didn't do that task I gave yos
as IT should have been done" he says
to the boy. regarding something which
was expected OF the son somewhere
AIuunU thG h0ae. ~ were uaflmk
You III my business and you did ths
work that way, | would let YOU 90 be.
fore the end Of the week; I wouit
have to do II or lose patrons and
money
This father wisely has gained ths
confidence Of his son and Ii trying
wisely TO hold them. The son II dis.
posed to merchandising ID some one o.
its branches The father II mer,