The citizen., 1911-09-07

IN would win. the good I would do.
And these tree-top dreams have been
with me ever since. When I was con-
verted these tree-top dreams turned
to prayers and promises.
Now know all other boys are
like me. You boys who are here to-
day are Just the same. You have
your play. your work and your day
dreams.
And now a word TO the other folks
who are interested in boys We are
all OF us partners In this raising of
men-parents, the boys themselves,
and the other folks. Who are some
OF the people who are Interested IN
boys? The girls are interested. I'm
less there are good men girls can
never have good homes. Neighbors
are interested. No matter how much
one may be out with the old folks
we are all glad to see our neighbor's
children coming on well. Employers
are Interested; they want good work
men. Patriots are interested. Every
one who loves his country is looking
anxiously about TO see who will be
the leaders, the self-sacrificing
preachers. teachers, editors and pub
lie men who will guide the communi-
ty and the state and the nation when
our present leaders shall have pass
cd away.
tell you. boys. you do not know
how many friends you have. When
you are starting out in life really
everybody is your friend. We all
wish you we'll, we all hope and pray
that you will be better. wiser. hap
pier than we have been. And there
is hardly a man OF woman in the
whole state so mean that he would
not stretch out a helping hand TO
encourage a boy. You may forfeit
this good will and regard. The first
time you do something bad your
friends will grieve; the second time
they will be surprised and disappoint-
ed; and the third time they will be-
gin to think that you have establish
ed a habit OF badness. you will have
reputation for badness, you will
have hard work TO overcome the
difficulties which you have piled
up In your pathway But remember.
at the beginning everybody is your
friend.
Now there are four great institu-
tions for the helping OF boys as
they journey towards manhood. First
and best is the home-the nest OF
love and sympathy and comfort, so
sweet that we who are older often
wish we could go back to that dear
spot and rest there forever.
And then there is the home church.
the place where the best people of
the neighborhood gather to pray and
sing and hear great lessons out of
the word OF God. God bless the coun-
try church house Often 1t is a small
and poor affair. Some of the very
men and women who run the church
may be sin-laden and defective. But
the church is the place where we
have fellowship with all the good as
pirations and holy desires that there
are in the community. and where we
may get in closest touch with things
divine.
And then there is the home school.
This. too, is often sadly imperfect.
IL will not always be so, we believe.
We are going to have better school
trustees and better teachers. But
even as II is the home school is some
thing of priceless value. Many
boy has walked a hundred miles and
slept on a bare floor and lived upon
little or nothing In order that he
might get something OF that educa-
ton which is now offered freely TO
every American child in his home
school. THE CITIZEN published an
article a few years ago proving that
the schooling which a child gets in
one summers free school. II he at
tends from start TO finish and does
his best. is worth about three hundred
dollars. That means that on the
average the boys and girls who have
had several years OF schooling earn
that much more and have that much
more of the good things of life by
reason Of what they have received
at the home school. But the home
school is worth more than can be
measured In money. 1t is there
that we learn how to learn. II
is there that we learn how TO get