Evening star., 1936-06-01
Occupation
OftenBoy's
Salvation
Jobs Anchor Thought.
Provide Outlet for
Energies.
BY ANGELO PATRI.


WHAT is to be done with him.
w Mary? He refuses to go to
camp. He refuses to go to Summer
school. He says he won't study an
other lesson as long as he lives. What
I've been through with that boy for
the past year nobody knows. I'm
about ready to give up"
He doesn't look so bad to me.
But, of course, I haven't had to deal
with him"
IF you had you'd know something
was happening to you. I can tell you.
He's almost been expelled. 1t it hadn't
been for the respect the teachers had
for his father and me-you've simply
no idea"
Hes l6, isn't he? A restless age.
Most boys are troublesome then. Well
take him to the farm for the Summer.
He can't get into much mischief there.
He'll have plenty of room to get about
in, and lots to occupy his mind. If
You'll let him come we'll be glad OF
him"
Let him go? Sister. you're rescu-
ing a drowning woman"
When the long-legged lad arrived at
the farm he couldn't see enough at
one time. He seemed to be trying to
see behind him, before and all around
at one and the same time, and the
questions poured out like the re-
leased waters Of dam. What was
this? And how was that? And
where did that horse sleep, and who
took care of him? And how many
chickens were in the house. And what
price did one get? And on and on
until sleep overcame him.
The next day he wandered about
the farm just looking and storing up
questions for the evening. What are
you going to do tomorrow, uncle
John?"
Going to begin painting the big
barn"
THE big barn? What color? Whose
going to help you? Can help?"
Certainly he could help. and he did.
His aunt whispered to his uncle that
he might get too tired, and his uncle
said that he would tire of the notion
long before his back ached. But he
neither tired of the notion nor the
motion. The more he painted the
more he wanted to paint. All Sum-
mer he looked for painting jobs and
the barns, coopS, fences and out
buildings of all sorts cleaned in coats
of fresh paint. He even went In for
decorations, painting fence posts
black on top, touching up gates with
bands and crescents Of contrasting
color. BY the end of vacation he was
in his right mind and ready for
school. But save all the painting
Jobs for me, Uncle John. will you?"
There are some, and that means
more than few, adolescent boys ana
girls who need some sore Of sweeping
work to clear out the accumulated
suppressions, fears, troubles OF all
sorts from their minds and bodies.
Some find painting is the thing
Others take to clay work, weaving,
gardening, finger painting, farming.
Usually the work is on big scale
of action. Puttering motions irrltate
such children and bring on more
trouble. They need to make big. easy.
sweeping movements that give them
sense of power, freed and irresistible
When you have trouble with a
baking adolescent whose temper is
uncertain, whose work is done only
under compulsion and, therefore, fu-
tile; whose nerves are frayed and
whose mind is murky, set him to some
sort of work that will sweep his
troubles clear out of his mind. Leave
of the routine, the rules, and let him
free himself. Such work will cure
him.
(Copyright 1850