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TH£ FUTURfc CITIZEN.
“AGE 3
THE DIVIDING LINE
What Smoking Did For llim.
FORGET IT*
Some time ago the sapt. of an
important Toledo manufacturing
establishment found that the habits
of many of his workmen were not
what they should be. He did not
care to lecture any of them, but
did devise a way of carrying a sim
ple lesson to their hearts
One afternoon in a large and
empty warehouse he had painted
across the middle of the floor a
great white line. At five o’clock
when all the men quit work they
were invited to enter this ware
house before they started for their
homes. They all looked, wonder-
ingly at the fresh white lice, but
no explanation was given them to
its presence until the superinten
dent came in.
Then he said: “Boys there is a
right and left side to this line. I
want every man who stands for
sobriety, honesty in speaking, fair
dealing with all about him, no
bad debts, no gambling, to step to
the rigid side of this, and every
man who does not feel that he can
subscribe to such principles to step
on the left side. 1 want to know'
where my men stand on these
mal.eis. Th'is is the dividing line.”
Some of the men hung their
heads, others twisted their thumbs,
others s.epped promptly forward
and chose the right side of the
white line.
“There is no compulsion about
this,” explained the superinten
dent, “but, 1 have to know once
for all how to divide my men.”
In the end every man in the room
was on the right side of the line.
Those who did not wholly believe
in it at the moment saw that it was
the tfue side if they were to be sue
cessful in work. After that the
superintendent had little trouble
with the habits of his men.
For all, for the growing school
boy and for the grown man, there
is drawn in daily life, drawn across
the pathway of daily conduct, a
white line. One side is right, can
never be anything but right, and
the other side is left, wrong, in
more senses of “left” than one
Others can advise us as to which
side to choose, but the final decision
rests with ourselves We must pick
up our side of the dividing line. It
is up to us to show if we know
what is right and what is left.
Don’t get “left.”—industrial
School Times.
Miss S., a teacher in a Western
high school, became much interest
ed in one of her pupils, not because
of his intelligence, but because of
his apathy and dulness. She knew
that lie came from a good family,
and that his brothers and sisters,
who had preceded him in the high
school, had ranked high. She
could not understand why this boy,
with all his advantages, should do
such poor work. To solve the
problem, she went to the office of
the city superintendent, where are
kept filed the records of every child
in the pub'ic schools year by year.
She found that for the first five
years of his school life he had rank
ed “Excellent” in every study.
The next year a few “G’s” had re
placed the “E’s” in some studies
The next year there was but one
“G” and many “F’s.” The fol
lowing years “F’s” and “P’s”
struggled for supremacy, showing
a steady downward course year aft
er year. The next day she had a
private interview with the boy,
and electrified him by saying :
“George, you began to smoke
cigarettes when you were in the
6B grade, didn’t you?”
“Who told you?” gasped the
astonished boy. ♦
“Nobody.” v
“ 1'heti how did you find out?”
“Was I right? Did you?”
“ Yes,” confessed ‘he boy. “1
began when l was in Miss H.’s
room. The boy who sat behind
me gave me a package. But how
did you find out ?”
Miss S. then told of her visit to
the superintendent’s office, wheie
his whole miserable record of de
terioration was filed against hi n.
The boy seemed roused from his
usual apathy, and said, “Well, if
that is »o, I'll never smoke another
cigarette as long as 1 live.”
That was several years ago. lie
kept his word, and his report-cards
showed a steady improvement, al
though he never received an “E ’
during his high-school course, be
cause his faculties had become
irretrievably dulled.
Last year lie wrote to Miss S. :
“1 have kept my word, and have
never smoked since the day you
showed me my record. 1 am work
ing in a good position, and am glad
to say I am a decent man, thanks
to you.—The Youth’s Companion.
Has someone played a scurvy
trick? Forget it. Has someone
soaked you with a brick? Forget
it. Don’t let the memory endure;
a scheme of vengeance will not
cure a single sore, you may be
sure—forget it. Hits someone used
your name in vain? Fo-get it. Don’t
call on him to explain ; forget it.
If you are straight and good, and
true, it boots not what men say' of
you; don’t fuss, or pause, a rag to
chew—forget it. Your wife has got
a nagging tongue? Forget it. You
thought her smooth when she was
young; forget it. She’s had enough
work and care to sour the temper
of a hear: what if she hits you with
a chair? Forget it. The kids kick
up a beastly noise? Forget it. You
cannot read for girls and boys For
get it. Some day they’ll leave the
old home shack, and then you’ll
wish that they were back, to make
the floors and rafters crack forget
it. You have a tooth ache in y’our
ear? Forget it. You've half a mind
to shed a tear? Forget it. For brood
ing ones g-ief or pain but puts the
fantods in y'our brain , and shows
you are not safe or sane? Forget it.
—Industrial School Times.
DISOBEDIENCE
“My dear boy,” s id his father
to his only' son, “you are in bad
ccmpany. The lads with whom
you associate indulge in bad habits.
They drink, play cards, smoke,
swear and visit theaters. These
are not safe company for you.”
“You needn’t be afraid of me,
father,” replied the boy laughing
ly, “I guess 1 know a thing or
two. 1 kpow how far to go and
then stop.”
The 1 id left his father’s house
twirling his cane in his fingers and
laughingnt the old ‘man’s notions.’
A few years later, and the lad
grown to manhood, stood before
the bar of a court, before a jury
which had just brought in a ver
dict of guilty against some crime in
which he had been concerned. Be
fore he was sentenced he addres-ed
the conrtand said amongothcr things
“My downward course began in
disobedience to my parents. 1
thought 1 knew as much .is my
father did and I spurned his advice ;
but as soon as 1 turned my back
on my home, temptations came up
on me like a drove of hyenas and
hurled me into ruin ”—Exchange.
Can You Imagine A Time When The Future Citizen Will ^ A Thing of T he Past? We Can*>
