The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-04-21
A SOBER, WISE TALK ON BOYS
County, Iowa, Farmers institute by Mrs.
E. B. Porter

County, Iowa, Farmers institute by Mrs.
{. B. Porter
have no apology for coming to you
with the subject your committee has as
signed me. The boys are special friends
of mine, and I like to think and talk
about them.
Our fathers and mothers, with slow
tottering footsteps and trembling hands,
are wearied and worn with the burden
of years. Some OF them have closed
their eyes. Kind friends have folded
their hands and carried them to the
white city just yonder, where they rest
from their labors.
The same problems confronted them
that you and are considering today.
Our boys-what is the best for them
and how to accomplish that which will
the better equip them for the battle Of
life.
The girls-everyone (even our boys)
love the. bright, pretty girls, and is
ready to do all and more for them often
times than is wise. Sometimes even
60 so. far as to pet and spoil the dainty
ladies. 1t is ito be hoped, however,
that your boy and mine will not become
infatuated with those girls who regu-
larly are on the streets and always at
the station to meet the evening train
with no purpose whatever but to make
show and to attract attention from
strangers. They are not your girls, of
course; but somebody's girls are there,
just the same. 1t is too bad. I am
sorry: and the mothers of these girls
will be some day, when it is too late.
But the boy-the average American
boy so full of life and noise and fun
is too apt to be only tolerated instead
of appreciated and enjoyed.
About thirty years ago I applied for
position as teacher in village school.
My application was accepted. Before
time for school to begin my predecessor
one of the best teachers in the whole
countrywide me had her sympathy,
in my school should have twenty boys,
in age from IA to 18 years, all around
toughs, without principle; sense or rea-
son; with absolutely nothing to appeal
to except brute force.
I weighed less than 100 pounds.
The outlook was not pleasant. I wanted
to quit before l commenced; but that
was the part of a coward. Father said,
Looks like bad job; but if you sue
coed so much more credit will be due
you" l concluded that some way or
another I must understand those boys
that if I fully understood them there
was something that would appeal to
them. 1t was there learned that the
greatest study of mankind is boys.
The average boy is not wholly unlike
his sister. He likes attention-petting
and carressing-as we'll as she does.
Of course he must be taught to be
manly, while she womanly; but the diff
ference in these two traits is not so
great. The boy of ordinary sensitive
ness cannot but feel the difference. In
fact, the difference is thrust upon him
when the little sister is taken into the
parlor and told to shake hands with the
lady, deary, and sit right here in this
chair and be little lady; there, that
dear. While he is told to run and
play and not bother mama when she
has company. If curiosity impels him
to bob his head in at the door with his
hat on, Of course the frown that greets
him will make lasting impression and
chances are he will find some one, and
very likely some one not exactly to your
liking, for companionship.
Perhaps he forgets he has been told
not to leave the yard; but what is he to
do?-no place for him in the house and
nothing to do, no one to play with.
What wonder is it that he forgets; and
what wonder that he comes back hall
scared, ready to fib just little to avoid
that scolding he knows he will get. To
be sure he should not run away, but
possibly some one is to blame for ii
equally with the boy. Certainly these
are not your methods, but you know oil
just such cases, don't your
He tracks the kitchen floor; he scat
tiers crumbs; he hangs his hat on the