The Washington times., 1922-08-05
GENIUS ON THE
SCRAP HEAP |
BY VIM. A. McKeever-

TT ERE 10 a case Of q man thir.
ty-seven years old. who.
IL with a simple jack-knife as
q tool and a piece of pine board an
his material, can carve out Of wood,
and have them all remain attach
I'd 70 one another, seven pairs Of
pliers, a screwdriver. a pair of
scissors and other instruments.
All the group is collapsible. and
when closed appears a. the orist-
nal piece of timber.
Remarkable, you say. Yes,
most clever evidence Of skill. But
the man in question 10 a common
hobo out on the road wandering
place and no place.
Here is another man thirty-four
years Of age, a Shakespeartas stu
dent, a natural dramatist. with a
fine voice and q countenance
which once might have we'll adorn-
ed the face of q great statesman or
scholar. For thirty years this man
has appeared here and there among
the human drift, speech h.making.
reciting poetry In his charming
way 10 an impromptu street ad'
herence.
The second man has not been a
regular professional lind-bsggase
traveller, but has belonged distinct
ly to the hobo type.
Here is another man, now sixty,
broken and old for his years, who
at sixteen could play on the piano
and without practice any selection
he chnnced to hear. He could I'm.
proyise and was able to attract I'm.
promptu audiences which marveled
at his genius.
But alas! The third man also
lived wretched, dissolute life,
having abandoned his pwn family
and wrecked the peace and happi'
ness Of many more.
The world 10 filled today with
the pathetic instances OF the once
beautiful, promising genius or
youth now gone to the dogs simply
from lack Of one persistent older
friend and counselor to set 1t on
it's riRhtful way OF honor. or the
second and third instances above
7 have reliable boyhood records.
Az Juveniles those two were un'
ouestionably brilliant as to their
talents and most fair to look upon.
Ordinarily in any boy crowd they
were the center OF attraction ana
applause.
shows that early genius does
not normally perceive Its own
posslble future, and that II may
be easily diverted into useless
channels. Like a flower OF deli
cate tint and confisuration, one
rough blow may spoil 1t forever,
There is a lesson of tremendous
Significance here for ordinary
parents-for II is among the very
common parents usually that the
genius 10 born--and that is, to
watch the waking talents OF every
child and try to see that no prom
Using talent may be crushed out
right or centorted into something
ugly and useless.
Dissipation is today one OF the
chief enemies OF the budding ge-
MUS in boys. Each Of the three
sketches above, and practically
every one Of the class. proves to
have been early stunned and bru'
talized with the excuses Of sense
and lust,
Very soon, under such unfavor-
able circumstances the people
about him lose respect for the
mentally degraded youth. Then
quickly follows the loss Of his
own seif.respect, and the curtain
is forever rung down upon the
possible career of brilliancy.
Not only fathers, but neighbors
and. friends of the promising but
unshielded boy should keep an
eve out for the sign Of his bud
ding genius and for an oppertu'
nifty to protect him against the
attacks OF the worlds dissipation,