The Washington herald., 1915-06-11

| our ears so amusing he asked, Are they TYPICAL
replied that | thought they represented tn,
average among the boys in the district
And what will they amount to- Will they grow
up to be useful citizens? There's certainly plent,
OF ability and character here. II quite remark
able"
Some OF them will grow up to be useful cit
zens," | replied. But they will all be hampercd
by lack OF education. Nearly all OF these boys
though there OF them more than IS, left
school long ago and are working for their living
Saturday afternoon is their only play time. How
ever OF them will do fairly WELL
You see | was lodging the question.
| suspect that the Engshman was shrcwd
enough to perceive | lodging. He came
at again:
How about the others"
well, some of the others will driit'
Him. said the Englishman.
For few moments he was seemingly absorb
cd in the game But noticed that he was study
ing the faces OF those boys. with his sharp eyes.
What happens to them when they Drift" he
suddenly asked.
Sometimes for weeks at time they have no
work to do. Then they get out OF the habit OF
working Some OF them begin to drink. Some
of them become politicians and help to corrupt
the city government Some Of them contract dis
ease. Some of them steal or commit other crimes
and land in prison.
The Engshman shaking his head. What
waste" he remarked as if speaking to himself
| suppose the worst result OF our economic sys-
tenn is the waste. don't mean the material waste.
| mean the waste in human possibilities.
That was an interesting illustration given by
John d. Rockefeller jr. some time ago while he
talking to his Bible class. He was explain
ing about the culture OF the American Beauty
rose. and he said that to bring the rose to its
present exquisite perfection thousands of buds had
10 be sacrificed
Since reading about that illustration | have
thought OF it often in seeing beautiful Young
girls, daughters OF wealth. exqusitcly dressed and
riding in finely appointed automobiles
have wondered how many thousands OF young
boys, like those boys used to see in the East Side
OF New York, had 20 be sacrificed in order to pro-
duce those cxquisites, and how many thousands of
young girls, sisters of those boys.
Roses are such beautiful things We all love
them, and we recognize that they have wonder
fully refining influence in life. There are kind
women who distribute roses among prisoners in
order to soften those hard hearts. Indeed, flowers
OF all kinds exert beautiful influence.
Those flowers Of the race that we see in auto
mobiles. those exquisite young girls, doubtless ex-
ercise a good influence ii their minds and hearts
arc cultivated with anything like the care given
to their bodies and their personal appearance
And yet it is terrible to think OF the thousands
yes. the millions: of human buds that arc cut down
or allowed to wither, when with care they might
be made into flowers Of tho race.
Will the time ever come when we shall appreci-
ate the possibilities in human beings. Shall we
see that to produce ono fine human being, as rare
as an American Beauty rose. it is not necessary
to sacrifice other human beings?
In this regard there is far more economy in
the development of fine human beings than in
til development OF American Beauty roses.
Perhaps the very folly Of our present course
will appeal to us on the practical side When our
eyes are opened we shall that we cannot afford
to waste human possibilities as we are wasting
them now. When We see the marvellous powers in
tic children OF the poor their natural instinct for
what is good, their extraordinary capacity for de-
velopment, perhaps we shall devote ourselves,
might and main, to bring out these powers and to
save those overs for the benefit of the race
Why Was This!
Il do not believe that the President will care
to assume entirely the cares and responsibilities