Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-15
THE AGE OF THE BOY.
He Is Getting More Consideration and
Is Makinu Good.

He Is Getting More Consideration and
Is Making Good.
The extraordinary billiard playing
of George Gray, the Australian boy
champion, still in his teens, whose
performances are attracting so much
attention in this country, suggests,
among other reflections, that this Is
not only the age OF science but also
the age of the boy. There have al
WAYS been boy prodigies-one re-
members the musical world not so
many years ago being all agog over
the volcanic piano playing Of Mark
Hambourg-but the present day
seems particularly prolific in them
There Is Mischa Elman, the boy vio-
linist; Max Darewski, now in his fif-
teenth year, started at II to conduct
his own compositions; while Edward
Garratt has struck out an amusing
and original line Of his own as boy
comedian.
1t is, indeed, the age Of the boy,
for at no time of the country's his
tory has the boy received so much
attention That he appreciates 1t Is
evinced by his deeds. Show Boy
Scout the way to find paths. to build
huts and shelters and to bridge riv-
ers, and the original mind in him will
soon be inventing ways Of its own.
For the boy mind is virgin soil and
endowed with a directness of purpose
and an absence of elf-consctousness
that makes for achievement. A boy
engrossed in invention forgets, In his
absorption, that he has a body. For
the time being he is the new con-
trivance he Is fashioning. Watch a
boy reading a book; note his COM
plete indifference to time, place and
all other conditions. For his mind Is
glow, his spirit with the characters
whose fortunes he is following with
an abandon that will seldom be his
happy state when the passing of years
has introduced him to another kind
of literature.
It has become apparent to those
who think upon such things that the
way to build up a fine nation is to
start with having fine boys. With
Britain's supremacy in many paths
threatened, it is realized that one
must go to the root of the matter
and shape the future man who Is 10
fight the nations battles while ne IS
in a plastic condition, so that he may
grow up with a healthy body and an
alert mind. We have seen a general
officer resign his position in the army
in order to devote his entire time to
fostering the nations youth: we have
seen the greatest athlete Of a great
athletic age take up the governor
ship of training ship, entailing duties
as arduous as those devolving upon
the headmaster of a public school.
How can these boys fail with SUCH
virile leader, a man whose tremen-
dous personality is redolent OF fresh
air and the green field? Great men
with great ideals are taking young
England by the hand and showing
him how to climb the hill Of life.
It is not surprising that the latest
triumph of science, aerial navigation
has proved fascinating in the extreme
to the boy mind. and already we nave
an "air-boy." Hanriot, but 10 years
old, son of the inventor OF the Han
riot monoplane-one of the most
bird-like in appearance or fylng ma
chines-who, though wisely abstain,
ing from competitions, has proved
himself a competent aerial pilot, full
Of nerve and resource. Many boys
can drive motorcars, but no boy Is
likely to be seen in race, as so much
beef" and stamina are required Tor
these strenuous trials OF skill. Tne
Youngest chauffeur yet seen on the
racetrack was probably youth OF ~
who competed in the great road race
last Sunday at Boulogne, and twenty
is an unusually tender age for such
an experience.
Though some would gainsay the
fact, the wonderful man Is generally
a wonderful boy. Kipling was. AT
16 or so Chatterton attracted the at
tention of his headmaster at st.
Pauls (the great Walker) by the
brilliant character Of his essays ana
was Immediately promoted to the top
form of his school. Turning in 9TH
er directions we find the Late Tom
Browne, when a Nottingham errand
lad. delghting the youth Of the town
with his chalk drawings on the pave
ments Did not Dion Boucicault
write London Assurance at 19?
And the maturity Of style exhibited
by Dickens when he wrote his pick
wick Papers at the age Of % must
ever be a matter of wonder to those
who know what years must pass be-
fore even an author of undeniable
gifts can attain certainty Of touch.
The wonderful boy! Is he not
splendid object of study? If you can
make him a pal Of yours and,
while treating him as your equal and
a man" with whom you can scuss
most things quite openly, retain his
respect, you may count yourself
whatever your shortcomings, as
person helping to balance things
down on the right side.
A boy is an awkward talker When
not at home with you his answers
are monosyllabic, while the words
"beastly" and rot" occur so often
in his dialogue that one fears his vo-
cabulary cannot number many more
words than that of the Red Indian.
On the other hand. tendency to
garrulty in a lad should be gently
checked, for even a boy can be taught
to think before he speaks. To draw
him out one must discover what his
hobby is. That found, he will be-
come almost eloquent Whether 1t
be stamp collecting photography,
swimming, football or mechanical en-
gineering. a little nursing will lead
him to discuss it with an unconscious
ease that is most refreshing.-London
News