Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1919-04-24
SLEEPING SICKNESS

1t seems that mysterious malady
has appeared in the country in the
wake of the influenza epidemic. The
physicians call it "encephaletic lethor-
gia" but the layman calls it sleeping
sickness. The patient goes off into
a stupor and remains in this condition
for several days and often dies.
1t may be that most Of US shall es-
cape this dreaded disease which is az
fecting the people. But we need to
fear another disease which is affect
ing some people in a similar way. 1t
seems to affect the parents more than
any other class, and the sad thing
about it is that the children Of the
victims suffer more in the long run
than the victim. I refer to the sleep
ing sickness that some have in con-
nection with the education Of their
children.
mere are some OF the symptoms.
In Tile Iau o. LlAe year When sclivols
ana colleges Degln w open, anu llle
DoyS ana gIrls-Lne men aud women
VI Gomorrow-Degln to assemble III Inc
CLASS room W Degln Lneir WmLer )
course, Tie ylctlnl OF sleeping Sick
ness says to ms chlid: Well, son, we
afe not tnrougn Work yet, SO you can '
start TO school until after CarlsImaS.4
linen after Christmas" when the last
boA OF cotton Is picked. the last ear
OF corn Is scOoped into the Grub and
the last potato is dug, the sleeping
Sickness vlctlm ar0uses little OUT
OF nus stupor and begins to show signs
OF nte by talking a little. he says:
Wei, son, you can start to school
MONDAY. Inc CHILD enters ms class,
but Ilnds that ms class mates nave
gone anead OF hum, so he mas TO crop
back in another class. However, he
is possessed with a spirit OF true
AmerIcanlsm and studies hard, gay
ana nIgnu, until the wmpporwllls pc
GIN to whistle and the spring frog
begins to quack, then the parent OF
this child begins to show symptoms OF
his old malady. He begins to have a
double vision, that is sees two dollars
where he saw only one last year. So
he says: "Son, l expect you had better
stop school now, you have been going
now five months. We have got to
make big crop this year, and too the
pasture fence must be mended before
we start to blowing" The child
knows that his parent is victim Of
sleeping sickness" that he knows
that he is not awake to the fayt that
an education is more important to the
youth in these great reconstruction
days than at any other period in our
history. But how can he help him.
self? These conditions go on from
year to year until the child is grown
and the victim is dead or is grandpa
with a deep seated chronic case OF
sleeping Sickness.
NOW, IN case OF 'encephaletlc letn-
argia we consult a pnySlclan, DuL III
d case OF educational sleeping sickness
VINO must we consult! 1nlS writer
suggests that the members OF the leg
lslaIure mgnt be called upon to heap
ny passing compulsory school Law,
with teeth In it. Again the boara
of supervisors might help some. And
too, the school teacher might do his
bit, even if he is the cheapest doctor
in the whole fraternity.
AS | am in the teachers profession
and am a special friend to the rising
generation, have these suggestions
TO offer. xrn,
First, I want to say to the victim
that this disease is q germ disease.
Now, let US get rid Of it by incubation.
Get inoculated with the TACT that the
education of your child is worth in
finitcly more than all the blooded
calves, registered pigs and purebred
chickens In the country. Get inocu-
lated with the fact that your child is
asking Of you a fish. Don't give him
serpent. He is asking for bread.
Don't give him a stone. He is asking
for his birthright. Will you give him
porridge? What if YOU can gain the
riches Of Rockefeller or Wander
bilt and your child grows up unedu-
Gated, untutored and unframed. VIII
your riches equal his loss? Did you
realize that your child is diamond IN
the rough, entrusted in your care for
a few ye:rs to be polished? Have
you ever realized that it rests upon
your shoulders whether your child will
be q leader in the country or bod
carrier; "huer Of wood and q drawer
of water? Pause a moment! Yes,
shake yourself out Of your stupor and
awake to the fact that your child is