CHAPTER XX.This incident recalls another case of swearing, and the peculiar method adopted to correct a boy, as well as to influence a family to train their son in the right path. One reason why so many boys swear is because they constantly hear men swear on the streets. At Sunday-school the boy learns that he is violating one of the commandments. But men pay no attention to it, then why should boys? Boys are imitative. They want to do what men do. It is seldom that we hear of a mother approving of her boy swearing and encouraging him in this, certainly vulgar habit. This method used by the president in curing a boy of swearing, may not meet the approval of many of our Sunday-school teachers, and it is given with some reluctance. It is given, however, to show what can be done in extreme cases.“Are you the president of the Newsboys’ association?” asked a boy with a very pretty face.“Yes, and what can I do for you?”“I want to join the association.”“HE SWEARED AT A LADY AND I PUNKED HIM.”See Page118The usual questions were asked and answered. He proved to be a carrier and had twenty-eight customers. A membership card was given the boy with instructions to call in thirty days and get the badge.The boy left the office perfectly happy. In about a week he returned, walked to the desk and laid his membership card down, saying: “My mother says I can swear all I want to, and you have nothing to do with it. You must not tell me to stop swearing.”The president turned around, looked at the boy for a moment, discovered he was unusually bright, and back behind his black eyes he showed the right kind of spirit indicating that if he made up his mind to do a thing he would do it.“So your mother wants you to swear. Well, well, and she don’t want you to belong to any association unless we all swear. Well, you shall not be made unhappy. If your mother wants you to swear you shall have that pleasure. Does she swear?”“Yes, sir, we all swear to beat the band,” he replied, and in a tone indicating that it was one of the pleasures of his home life.“And don’t any of you think it wrong to swear?”“Oh, no, father says he can swear and it gives force to his arguments. Mother says if I want to swear I can do it.”“This association compels no one to stop swearing—the rule adopted by the boys simply says we don’t believe in it. And the officers wouldn’t for the world have you do anything to displease your parents.“How many swear words do you know?”He thought for a moment counting on his fingers, then said:“I know seven.”“Seven big swear words, well, well, and can you name them to me?”“Yes, sir, all of them and I may know another.”“All right. Try it. One, two, three, four, five, six; my! that’s an awful bad one, and—and—seven. There they are.”In repeating the words, his manner showed he was familiar with their use. Not a blush rose to his cheeks.“Do you want to be a member of this association?”“Yes, sir, all my friends are members and they want me to join.”“I will pin your card before me, on the desk. See?”“Yes, sir, I see it.”“Well, I will let it remain there until you call for it, either to tell me to tear it up or you take it. Now, here is what I want you to do. And this not unless you want to. You go home, and every time your mother wants you to do something use one of those seven swear words, and say it loud enough so she can hear it. Keep this up until she tells you to stop that swearing.”“I will do it, but suppose she licks me, then what?”“Oh, that would hardly be in keeping with her teachings, she wants you to swear, doesn’t she?”“Sure thing, she never licks me for swearing.”“Do you want to stop it and become a member of the association? Well, you try this plan, and if you can, throw the entire lot at her, the seven words, all at once.”“Well, I’ll try it. It looks easy.”The boy left the office with a hearty “goodby.”The following Saturday he returned. He stood smiling at the desk.“You can give me the membership card,” he said laughing.Recognizing him the president shook him by the hand.“Well, I have been wondering what luck you had in swearing.”“Oh, I had luck. Only got licked seven times.”“Got licked, and by whom?”“Well, you would think the whole house fell on top of me. Father said, send that boy down to you at once, but mother licked me until I saw stars. I’ll never swear again in our home. She stopped it. She said she never heard such terrible swearing and when I said I learned it of her, I got the seventh licking. Gee, but I was sore for a week. Mother told me the first thing this morning to come after that card.”“What did you do when you first went home?”“Oh, I threw those seven swear words right at her, and, from the very beginning. She looked at me several times. I backed up, and when she asked me a question, I let fly the worst word, then I had to run.”“What did your father say?”“He only said, ‘didn’t I tell you that some daythat boy would disgrace us, now it’s up to you to straighten it out,’ and when they knew I told you why the card was sent back, that changed everything. I’ve been down here four times, father made me go.”His name was placed upon the books, a badge was given him, “with a lucky number,” and he left the office.A month later the president met him at one of the auxiliary meetings, and to the question, “How about the seven swear words,” he said:“We busted up swearing at our house. Everybody had to stop it.”No better worker on the street can be found than this boy. His whole soul is in the work for doing good among his associates.
CHAPTER XX.This incident recalls another case of swearing, and the peculiar method adopted to correct a boy, as well as to influence a family to train their son in the right path. One reason why so many boys swear is because they constantly hear men swear on the streets. At Sunday-school the boy learns that he is violating one of the commandments. But men pay no attention to it, then why should boys? Boys are imitative. They want to do what men do. It is seldom that we hear of a mother approving of her boy swearing and encouraging him in this, certainly vulgar habit. This method used by the president in curing a boy of swearing, may not meet the approval of many of our Sunday-school teachers, and it is given with some reluctance. It is given, however, to show what can be done in extreme cases.“Are you the president of the Newsboys’ association?” asked a boy with a very pretty face.“Yes, and what can I do for you?”“I want to join the association.”“HE SWEARED AT A LADY AND I PUNKED HIM.”See Page118The usual questions were asked and answered. He proved to be a carrier and had twenty-eight customers. A membership card was given the boy with instructions to call in thirty days and get the badge.The boy left the office perfectly happy. In about a week he returned, walked to the desk and laid his membership card down, saying: “My mother says I can swear all I want to, and you have nothing to do with it. You must not tell me to stop swearing.”The president turned around, looked at the boy for a moment, discovered he was unusually bright, and back behind his black eyes he showed the right kind of spirit indicating that if he made up his mind to do a thing he would do it.“So your mother wants you to swear. Well, well, and she don’t want you to belong to any association unless we all swear. Well, you shall not be made unhappy. If your mother wants you to swear you shall have that pleasure. Does she swear?”“Yes, sir, we all swear to beat the band,” he replied, and in a tone indicating that it was one of the pleasures of his home life.“And don’t any of you think it wrong to swear?”“Oh, no, father says he can swear and it gives force to his arguments. Mother says if I want to swear I can do it.”“This association compels no one to stop swearing—the rule adopted by the boys simply says we don’t believe in it. And the officers wouldn’t for the world have you do anything to displease your parents.“How many swear words do you know?”He thought for a moment counting on his fingers, then said:“I know seven.”“Seven big swear words, well, well, and can you name them to me?”“Yes, sir, all of them and I may know another.”“All right. Try it. One, two, three, four, five, six; my! that’s an awful bad one, and—and—seven. There they are.”In repeating the words, his manner showed he was familiar with their use. Not a blush rose to his cheeks.“Do you want to be a member of this association?”“Yes, sir, all my friends are members and they want me to join.”“I will pin your card before me, on the desk. See?”“Yes, sir, I see it.”“Well, I will let it remain there until you call for it, either to tell me to tear it up or you take it. Now, here is what I want you to do. And this not unless you want to. You go home, and every time your mother wants you to do something use one of those seven swear words, and say it loud enough so she can hear it. Keep this up until she tells you to stop that swearing.”“I will do it, but suppose she licks me, then what?”“Oh, that would hardly be in keeping with her teachings, she wants you to swear, doesn’t she?”“Sure thing, she never licks me for swearing.”“Do you want to stop it and become a member of the association? Well, you try this plan, and if you can, throw the entire lot at her, the seven words, all at once.”“Well, I’ll try it. It looks easy.”The boy left the office with a hearty “goodby.”The following Saturday he returned. He stood smiling at the desk.“You can give me the membership card,” he said laughing.Recognizing him the president shook him by the hand.“Well, I have been wondering what luck you had in swearing.”“Oh, I had luck. Only got licked seven times.”“Got licked, and by whom?”“Well, you would think the whole house fell on top of me. Father said, send that boy down to you at once, but mother licked me until I saw stars. I’ll never swear again in our home. She stopped it. She said she never heard such terrible swearing and when I said I learned it of her, I got the seventh licking. Gee, but I was sore for a week. Mother told me the first thing this morning to come after that card.”“What did you do when you first went home?”“Oh, I threw those seven swear words right at her, and, from the very beginning. She looked at me several times. I backed up, and when she asked me a question, I let fly the worst word, then I had to run.”“What did your father say?”“He only said, ‘didn’t I tell you that some daythat boy would disgrace us, now it’s up to you to straighten it out,’ and when they knew I told you why the card was sent back, that changed everything. I’ve been down here four times, father made me go.”His name was placed upon the books, a badge was given him, “with a lucky number,” and he left the office.A month later the president met him at one of the auxiliary meetings, and to the question, “How about the seven swear words,” he said:“We busted up swearing at our house. Everybody had to stop it.”No better worker on the street can be found than this boy. His whole soul is in the work for doing good among his associates.
This incident recalls another case of swearing, and the peculiar method adopted to correct a boy, as well as to influence a family to train their son in the right path. One reason why so many boys swear is because they constantly hear men swear on the streets. At Sunday-school the boy learns that he is violating one of the commandments. But men pay no attention to it, then why should boys? Boys are imitative. They want to do what men do. It is seldom that we hear of a mother approving of her boy swearing and encouraging him in this, certainly vulgar habit. This method used by the president in curing a boy of swearing, may not meet the approval of many of our Sunday-school teachers, and it is given with some reluctance. It is given, however, to show what can be done in extreme cases.
“Are you the president of the Newsboys’ association?” asked a boy with a very pretty face.
“Yes, and what can I do for you?”
“I want to join the association.”
“HE SWEARED AT A LADY AND I PUNKED HIM.”See Page118
“HE SWEARED AT A LADY AND I PUNKED HIM.”See Page118
“HE SWEARED AT A LADY AND I PUNKED HIM.”
See Page118
The usual questions were asked and answered. He proved to be a carrier and had twenty-eight customers. A membership card was given the boy with instructions to call in thirty days and get the badge.
The boy left the office perfectly happy. In about a week he returned, walked to the desk and laid his membership card down, saying: “My mother says I can swear all I want to, and you have nothing to do with it. You must not tell me to stop swearing.”
The president turned around, looked at the boy for a moment, discovered he was unusually bright, and back behind his black eyes he showed the right kind of spirit indicating that if he made up his mind to do a thing he would do it.
“So your mother wants you to swear. Well, well, and she don’t want you to belong to any association unless we all swear. Well, you shall not be made unhappy. If your mother wants you to swear you shall have that pleasure. Does she swear?”
“Yes, sir, we all swear to beat the band,” he replied, and in a tone indicating that it was one of the pleasures of his home life.
“And don’t any of you think it wrong to swear?”
“Oh, no, father says he can swear and it gives force to his arguments. Mother says if I want to swear I can do it.”
“This association compels no one to stop swearing—the rule adopted by the boys simply says we don’t believe in it. And the officers wouldn’t for the world have you do anything to displease your parents.
“How many swear words do you know?”
He thought for a moment counting on his fingers, then said:
“I know seven.”
“Seven big swear words, well, well, and can you name them to me?”
“Yes, sir, all of them and I may know another.”
“All right. Try it. One, two, three, four, five, six; my! that’s an awful bad one, and—and—seven. There they are.”
In repeating the words, his manner showed he was familiar with their use. Not a blush rose to his cheeks.
“Do you want to be a member of this association?”
“Yes, sir, all my friends are members and they want me to join.”
“I will pin your card before me, on the desk. See?”
“Yes, sir, I see it.”
“Well, I will let it remain there until you call for it, either to tell me to tear it up or you take it. Now, here is what I want you to do. And this not unless you want to. You go home, and every time your mother wants you to do something use one of those seven swear words, and say it loud enough so she can hear it. Keep this up until she tells you to stop that swearing.”
“I will do it, but suppose she licks me, then what?”
“Oh, that would hardly be in keeping with her teachings, she wants you to swear, doesn’t she?”
“Sure thing, she never licks me for swearing.”
“Do you want to stop it and become a member of the association? Well, you try this plan, and if you can, throw the entire lot at her, the seven words, all at once.”
“Well, I’ll try it. It looks easy.”
The boy left the office with a hearty “goodby.”
The following Saturday he returned. He stood smiling at the desk.
“You can give me the membership card,” he said laughing.
Recognizing him the president shook him by the hand.
“Well, I have been wondering what luck you had in swearing.”
“Oh, I had luck. Only got licked seven times.”
“Got licked, and by whom?”
“Well, you would think the whole house fell on top of me. Father said, send that boy down to you at once, but mother licked me until I saw stars. I’ll never swear again in our home. She stopped it. She said she never heard such terrible swearing and when I said I learned it of her, I got the seventh licking. Gee, but I was sore for a week. Mother told me the first thing this morning to come after that card.”
“What did you do when you first went home?”
“Oh, I threw those seven swear words right at her, and, from the very beginning. She looked at me several times. I backed up, and when she asked me a question, I let fly the worst word, then I had to run.”
“What did your father say?”
“He only said, ‘didn’t I tell you that some daythat boy would disgrace us, now it’s up to you to straighten it out,’ and when they knew I told you why the card was sent back, that changed everything. I’ve been down here four times, father made me go.”
His name was placed upon the books, a badge was given him, “with a lucky number,” and he left the office.
A month later the president met him at one of the auxiliary meetings, and to the question, “How about the seven swear words,” he said:
“We busted up swearing at our house. Everybody had to stop it.”
No better worker on the street can be found than this boy. His whole soul is in the work for doing good among his associates.