How ONE OF MANY WAS SAVED.

Study closely his likes and dislikes; also his companions, and his reading, than which nothing is more important. See to it that he is in good company at all times, but especially after dark. To-day I met a young clerk in a lawyer's office. Less than one year ago his mother plead with me for the third time to help her have him sent to a reform school. I refused, and said: "You can save C. if you will keep him off the streets at night." She did so, and the boy was saved. The parent who permits a boy or girl to run the streets after dark should be dealt with by the law.

No BOY UTTERLY BAD.

From what has been said it is hoped the reader will agree that no boy is altogether bad. No matter how sure one may be that such is the case, it is probably a mistake. Somewhere in each boy's nature there is a hidden germ of manhood. Find it. Having found it, stimulate it into healthy growth, and you will have saved your boy from a life of shame and your soul from endless anguish.

The sympathetic soul that can discover and develop what is best in one of these boys has a high mission in life. It may take much patience, love, knowledge and wisdom, but he can be saved.

NEVER GIVE UP.

Less than five minutes before this paragraph was

written a fine young man and his wife left the house of the writer. Six years ago I was helped from my sick bed to an office, where, to save this same young man from the penitentiary, I gave a check for three hundred dollars. Pages would be required to detail his many terrible errors during the next year. Few believed he would ever do as he should. Yet for the past five years he has been one of whom his widowed mother and young wife may well be proud. No one can know what satisfaction such cases are to those who have worked persistently and prayerfully to save such as seemed beyond human power to save.

XIII.

TRAINING THROUGH ENCOURAGE

MENT.

AN ERRONEOUS VIEW.

The majority of parents are disposed to take it for granted that it is natural for children to do what they should. Therefore, if they do right, they are not commended. It is taken as a matter of course. If they do wrong, someone is ever ready to criticise unkindly, if not most harshly. Too often the criticism is also quite unjust. This is all wrong. Too much effort and time are spent in trying to correct the wrong by harsh means. Too little effort is made for the purpose of leading into right paths by kindly encouragement.

Young children have no knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. All they are to know upon this subject must be learned by instruction, or from the example of others with whom they come in contact. Since this is so, we should not be so ready to accuse children of doing wrong purposely, or of deliberately giving pain.

THE RIGHT WAY TO CORRECT.

Consider the case of a boy who has broken a

valuable vase, perhaps carelessly, and is therefore liable to punishment. The parent calls the child to answer: "Ralph, did you break this vase?" He answers promptly, "Yes, papa, I did." Many a man has faced death at the cannon's mouth with less moral courage than this boy displays. Is it any

wonder that, in this particular case, the loving parent commended by saying, "My dear boy, you are brave. You are noble. The value of the vase is as nothing compared to the prize I put upon your truthfulness. Many a boy would have told an untruth, knowing that no one saw the culprit. Now I know I can trust you to tell the truth at any time and under all circumstances." Will anyone doubt that the boy's bosom swelled with pride? He never forgot the lesson. Seven years have passed, yet, to this day, he has never given the parent reason to believe that he is anything but perfectly honest and truthful.

THE OPPOSITE WAY.

There was evi-
There probably

In the latter case mentioned suppose that, after the boy had acknowledged breaking the vase, the parent had punished him severely. How unjust would have been such treatment! dently no intention to break it. was not even more carelessness than could justly be expected of a lively boy of five years old. Would not such treatment tend to make any child untruthful in every case where he thought he would be

likely to escape? Surely, no one will doubt that the influence of the first-mentioned method upon the developing character would be infinitely better than if the second plan had been used.

THE UNIVERSAL TENDENCY.

The great trouble is that the almost universal tendency is to pass, without notice, the many times the child tells the truth and does right, and to deal most harshly with him the time he yields to the natural temptation. The child may treat a younger brother or sister with kindness twenty times and receive no word of commendation. He is sure to receive a scolding, if not worse, if the twenty-first time he forget himself and acts naturally, by reason of the imposition of the younger child. Is not this all wrong?

A WORD OF WARNING.

Let all be watchful and praise what is right, rather than continually find fault with what is wrong. This is of vast importance in training to proper conduct. However, parents should guard against indiscriminate commendation. When used without good reason, the tendency is to make the child vain and to do more harm than good. Praise what is really praiseworthy. Do not praise that which requires no effort of the will or moral rectitude. Even with the cross, surly, ill-natured child this method will certainly give the most excellent