unsought does not seem to do much good, while suggestion does." In 1922 the United Presbyterian showed profoundly how lack of home training and discipline may make a man a peril to the public: "The Forestry authorities of both the United States and Canada are appealing through the press for the prevention of this evil. They are asking the press to assist them. The United Presbyterian is glad to join in the campaign. If we were in a philosophizing mood, we would trace this 'crime' back to the childhood of these 'criminals.' The best way to prevent forest fires is to deal sternly with the child who 'did not think' or 'forgot.' In the meantime let the press warn, and the civil authorities inflict the full penalty upon these devastators of the woods, and thus make up for that which is lacking in the parental training which excused children because they 'did not think' or 'forgot.'" Tactful Correction of Faults 9. Mr. G. H. Archibald, in Sunday School Times, makes a distinction between punishing arbitrarily and punishing retributively, and gives an instance of a teacher doing both at once. The boy threw spit balls about the schoolroom. She did not want to lose his friendship, yet she wanted to punish him. She kept him after school, and said to him in a semi-playful manner, "Frank, you seem to be very fond of making spit balls and throwing them. Make one hundred and pile them on your desk." "Now fire them all about the room." This done she said, "Pick them up again." She was particular about the number, and when he had done all this he "seemed pretty tired of spitballs." 10. Here is another case where an offense was cor rected by tact more effectively than it could have been by a switching or scolding. Willie, flushed and happy, had just come in from the barn where he had been playing hide-and-seek. "I guess my little boy needs to find a brush," said mother, looking up from her work. For there were clinging to his pretty sailor suit bits of dry grass and seeds from the mows, and some were playing peek-a-boo in the little fellow's hair. "Oh, mother, can't I wait? I'm just too tired now." "If flies had been playing hide-and-seek, they would not allow a speck of dust to stay on their heads; they's brush it off," casually remarked Aunt Nan. "Flies!" exclaimed Willie, incredulously; "where'd they get their brushes, I'd like to know!" "Oh, they have them and use them," laughed Aunt Nan. "Hair brushes?" questioned Willie, and his face took on a perplexed look. "Yes; and they always keep themselves very clean. Have you never seen a fly rub his delicate front legs over his head?" "Lots and lots of times," replied Willie, quickly. "Well," resumed Aunt Nan, "there are a great many hairs on the under side of a fly's feet and legs, and these form tiny hair brushes. When any dust gets on a fly's head, he brushes it off at once, and then he rubs his legs together, as you have probably noticed. This is so that no dust may cling to the little brushes." "Hurrah, Mr. Fly!" exclaimed Willie; "I guess you needn't think you're the only one who can use a brush, even if the other fellow doesn't carry his brushes around with him on his feet! I'll show you that I can use one, too." And off he ran. Lifting by Loving 11. Here is a beautiful story of successful discipline. A minister who lived in New England had a son about fourteen years of age. One afternoon the boy's teacher called at the home, and asked for the father. "Is your boy sick?" "No-why?" "He was not at school today.” “Is that so?" "Nor yesterday." "Indeed!” “Nor the day before." "Well!" "I thought he might be sick." "No, he's not sick." "Well, I thought I should tell you, anyway." The father said "Thank you," and the teacher left. Then the father sat thinking. By and by he heard a click at the gate and went to open the door. The boy saw that his father knew all, and threw himself back to resent a blow or even a scolding. But the father said, "Come into the library, Phil." The door was closed and the father said "Phil, your teacher was here this afternoon. He tells me you were not in school this afternoon, nor yesterday, nor the day before. I have always said, " "I can trust my boy,' and here you have been living a lie for three whole days. It almost breaks my heart that you should deceive me." If his father had asked him out to the woodshed, or had spoken roughly it wouldn't have been so hard. Then his father said, "Phil, we'll get down and pray." The father prayed, and when they got up the father's eyes were wet, and Phil's eyes were not dry. But that was not enough. The father said, "Phil, there's a law of life that where there is sin there is suffering. You've done wrong, and I am in this home as God is in the world, so we'll do this. You go up to the garret. I'll make a pallet for you there. We'll take your meals up to you at the regular times. And you stay up there as long as you have been living a lie-three days and three nights." Phil didn't say anything. They went upstairs, the pallet was made, and the father left the boy. The father "No." The Supper time came and the father and mother sat down to eat. But they couldn't eat for thinking about the boy. The longer they chewed upon the food the bigger it got in their mouths. And swallowing it was out of the ques tion. They then went into the sitting room for the evening. He picked up the paper to read, and she sat down to sew. He couldn't see distinctly. The glasses seemed blurred. So he took them off and cleaned them carefully, and then he found that he had been holding the paper upside down. And the mother tried to sew, but the thread broke, and she couldn't seem to get the needle threaded again. By and by the clock struck ten, the usual hour for retiring. But they made no move. The mother said, "Aren't you going to bed?" answered, "I think I'll not go yet; you go." clock struck eleven. The hands crawled on. the hall struck one-and two. Then the "Mother, I can't stand this any longer, I am going up-. stairs with my boy." He went up the attic stairs and pressed the latch softly so as not to wake the boy if he were asleep. Phil was wide awake, with something glistening in his eyes, and stains on his cheeks. The father laid down beside his boy, and at last they cried themselves to sleep. In the morning the father went to his work and left Phil in the attic, though he was nowpenitent. He slept with him again that night, and again left him for the day; and yet again all this was done on the third night. It was like God suffering for our sins in Jesus Christ. The clock in father said, You will not be surprised to hear that the boy never needed another punishment, and grew up to be a missionary to China, where, with heart and tongue aflame, he proclaimed the love of Him who suffered with us and for us that He might bring us to God. DEAR JUNIOR : LETTER TO A BOY This is your tenth birthday, and I want you to know that I have been thinking about you and loving you, and praying for you all through the day. The first time I ever saw you, you were no bigger than a doll. Your dear mother, who was sick in bed, sat up in the bed holding you in her arms stretched out toward me, and said, "Oh, help me to make him grow up good." And I promised her I would. And so ever since I have been sending you books and pictures, and praying for you that you might grow up good. I live so far away I can not see you often, but occasionally I see reports from your school teachers, and I judge from them and also from what I hear you are doing at home that you are really trying to GROW UP GOOD. Your loving Aunt, TRAINING CHILDREN IN GOOD HABITS To Follow Chapter III, for Parents and Teachers CHAIRMAN. In order to help children acquire good habits we must instruct them about how to use their thinking caps, their brains. I have drawn on the blackboard that kind of a thinking cap. I will read from "Psychology and Psychic Study," by Prof. Reuben Post Hallock: "It can scarcely be doubted that the brain, like a large city, has much of its business systematized and localized. Those anxious about the arrest of a criminal go to see the chief of police. Those wishing to search a title go to the county clerk's office. Those who try cases repair to the court chambers. In like manner the senses report to certain parts of the brain, while other well defined parts |