The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-07-12
SAVIOUR CHILDREN
FATHERS ExPECr BOYS
 TO ACHIEVE TOO MUG
Youngsters Need To Learn Rudi.
 ments First
. R Oke Rcbssss BNtca .


 His father was keen on having Hal become an engineer. Hal had had the first rudiments of mechan- ical drawing in school and some manual training as well, so now that vacation was here, he decided to encourage what was well begun. His father brought home a box containing the makings of air. planes and kites, special paper and light wood with special glue and a page of directions
 It was a pretty complicated af- fair. An experienced boy could have taken a look and made all sorts of things, but 1t was not a beginners set, as it should have been, and was almost sure to pug gle the novice.
 Hal tried to study it out. He did the very best he could, but at last he went to his mother and acknowledged defeat. Mother, I can't make anything out of these things, and daddy will about kill me. He thinks I'm so smart; and now he'll call me q dummy. But honest, morn, I can't seem to be-
 gin, and I'm afraid of spelling too
 much of the material Mother BafRled, Too | His mother looked over the di-
 rections and stuliel out the angles
 and little dotted lines. "Well, it's
 all Greek to me too, son, or I
 would help you"
 ''No, daddy doesn't want me to
 have help. He wants me to get
 1t alone"
 Heres Uncle Sam," said his
 mother with relief. "He.ll konw
 what to do. Sam, come here and | give Hal a lift with this business will you? Ed brought him con-
 struction set and it's beyond the
 child. You know Ed. He doesn't
 believe in helping-wants Hal to
 study 1t out and make these things
 himself. And if he spoils anything
 he'll be terribly impatient. What
 do you think?''
 | Uncle Sam took the specifica- tions and sat down. "I'll explain a few things first and then we'll
 make this glider together. When you get the priciples of one blue
 print you will understand how to go ahead on the next. It's good for you to study things out for yourself, boy, but everyone has to
 have enough working knowledge to start on.'
 A voice said, T knew that would
 be the way, Sam; I didn't buy that | for you. bought it for Hal for a | purpose. Clear out now and let the
 kid do it himself"
 Sam Lays Down the Law But Sa mwas an engineer adn his brother wasn't.
 "The best way to make a bad engineer, Ed, is to get him con- fused at the outset" he said. "You
 had to be taught your business step by step before you would have ventured on that testing labora- l tory of yours. I'm going to explain this to Hal and work with him on
 a few things first so he will be | qualified to go ahead on his own responsibility.
 "He will learn ingenuity as he goes along but the first thing he needs is confidence. You are bitten
 with the father complex-expect
 the boy to come up to a standard you have set for him in your own
 mind, and by some miracle do it himself"
 "All right, preacher. Go ahead.
 Maybe I should have gotten a be- ginner's set"
 Mot necessary in this case. Halls got what it takes, and he likes to try things over his head. Once he gets the hang of it, it will be apple pie, won't 1t Hal?"
 Sure" said Hal. Dad, what'll you bet I won't spoil one scrap of stuff in this box if Uncle Sam just helps me at first"