Evening star., 1940-05-31
Keep Hospitality From Sanng Budget by Clever Use Of LeoveS
Altrlisrn Can
Be OverdOne
By Child
He Must Complete
Own Job Before
Helping Others
BY ANGELO PATRI.

Sharing the burdens OF those about
us is a wholesome and praiseworthy
way Of living, but our first duty is
toward our own business in life.
Those who find time to attend to
the affairs Of the neighbors rarely
have enough for their own.
A mother visited the school to
ask what was wrong with her
daughters teacher. Lily was a lovely
child. very bright. Even the teacher
admitted she was bright and a
child who helped everybody who
came her way.
"She Is SO unselfish. She gives
her lunch away and goes without
any," related her mother. "She
came home without a wrap that
last cold day because a girl in her
class was cold. And it was a good
sweater, too: one that she had got
ten for Christmas. When the class
wanted her to be president she de-
clined. She thought Marie should
be president. Lily is like that. Then
she gets poor report. Other chill
dren get the medals, but she gets a
D. What's the matter with that
teacher?"
The principal looked at Lily's rec
ord. Then he talked to the teacher
and to the children in class and
found that Lily attended to every
body's business but her own. She
helped Teddy with his geometry,
and had time for only one problem
out Of five of her own. She got 20
per cent and Teddy got 100. She
took sweater Minna had left in
the yard all the way to Minna S
classroom and lost half the period
in grammar. Miss Maria gave her
zero for that.
mot just for losing her work but
for not minding your own business, >
said Miss Maria.
"I think Miss Maria was too
harsh" said Lily's mother.
Lilly comes to school to do her
work, doesn't .she?" asked the prin-
cipal. THE work isn't done not be-
cause Lily can't do it but because
she is doing other things that do
not concern. Lily must learn to
attend to her own business first,
her neighbors' after that"
Children in adolescence are likely
to be misled by their altruism. It
is so easy to overdo it. Teachers
and parents everywhere stress kind
ness. service, unselflshness, and some
of these young people are certain
to overdo the unselfshness. There
is a point beyond which it is unwise
to go in serving others. If the chill
dren are taught that they have no
right to give away their toys be-
cause they had to be bought by
their fathers with hard learned
money, that makes a good start.
Common sense is the basis of all
child training and it certainly has a
large place here. -. -s .o
The adolescent children whose
emotions are at full tide need to
be shown the necessity for restrain
ing help to other people. They
ought to leave that to the sugges-
ton of older folk and not undertake
it without advice. Helping the help
less may be aiding the lazy. or max
ing a passing weakness into a habit
of dependence.
These children should be taught
that their first duty is to the work
in hand. That done. they may
look about for an opportunity for
service. If they are wise they ask
their elders about the idea before
starting on its execution. 1t isn't
good sense to do another's task and
allow him to reap the reward of
ones effort. Zeroes help nobody.