Evening star., 1935-12-11
Preparing
Youngsters
Life Course
Fundamentals of Cor
rect Living Essen
tial.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

WHAT shall we do with the chill
" dren? Is there any sense in
teaching them trades, crafts, profess
sions, fitting them for something they
may never need? Perhaps uniting
them for the future2 The statistics
point to overhlled professions and the
unions are overcrowded with skilled
workers. What shall we do with the
children so as to prepare them for
the future?"
When was the future certain? Many
of us lived on the assumption that it
was, but we discovered, Just as other
generations had done, that there was
no ground for the assumption. Life
was still the grand adventure, still
the uncertain road that it had always
been. Yet we have lived and enjoyed
it, each according to his ability. Some
of us have a strong talent for living,
some none at all, most of US enough
to get by pleasantly enough. Our lot
has not been such hard one, all things
considered. Why imagine that it will
be worse. for the children? I believe
it will be better.
How are they to be prepared? First,
train them to health. Get them to
know that healthy body is the first
essential to successful living. Then
along with that idea, the other one-a
healthy mind. Teach them to dislike
wrong thinking such as shows itself in
greed, envy, hate, selfshneSs beyond
healthy limits. Teach them to pro-
tect their minds against the infection
of evil thoughts. This done, they have
a fine start for life in any era.
The quality that counts most for
success in life is character. 1t is wrong
to think of those who have piled up
vast riches as happy successful people
unless one knows that these people
are truly happy. Happiness is the
measure of successful living, and until
one gets that measure one knows
nothing of the matter. Stevenson said
that one must be able to live at peace
with oneself, be friends with oneself,
in order to be happy, or successful,
and he knew.
Give each child all the education he
can take. I believe education should
be full and free to all who ask for it.
Teach each child some form of useful
work. BY useful mean that it will
make the worker happy and benefit his
neighbors at the same time People
will always need beauty, health, the
labor of mems hands, the leadership
of trained minds. People will always
have hunger Of one sort. Train the
children then to be ready to satisfy
such hunger in themselves and in
others.
We are going to need scientists, doc
tors, teachers, machinists, builders,
artists, workers of all sorts, all we
can train and more. Find the special
power of each child and train him
accordingly. Use each child's gifts to
bless each child and each child's
family.
Work is the salvation Of the race.
believe that the children now In the
schools will have plenty Of work to do,
will have more freedom in the doing
of it, therefore more joy. They will
have a better choice Of lifework and
get more personal growth and happi-
ness out Of it than the workers who
prepared the way for them. That is
what all our preparation is for, really:
To make clear the way for those who
come after us. Life goes on with ever
increasing Joy, ever deepening beauty.
There is no cause for doubling the
happiness Of the children in its de-
velopment.
CCopyright, 1935)