174 How Much Work for the Country Boy 



NOT ENFORCED LABOR, BUT MASTERY 



As stated above, no natural boy probably takes 

 up hard work willingly or voluntarily. Parents 

 may as well accept it as their peculiar duty to direct 

 and discipline their boys with required tasks. But 

 after considerable persistent and conscientious en- 

 forcement of the boy's labors the parent is almost 

 certain to be rewarded with the latter's manifest 

 willingness and fondness in doing what was at first 

 thought of as pain and punishment. 



It is a serious matter, however, to observe how 

 many grown men there are who look upon their work 

 with the dread and disfavor natural to little boys. 

 One is inclined to wonder at this and at the cause of 

 it. So far as can be learned by inquiry among 

 workmen and those who dread their enforced labor, 

 their view of the situations is about as follows, to 

 render liberally the language of a stonemason-philos- 

 opher : "Work is something no man is naturally fond 

 of. Every worker would quit if he could afford 

 to and take life easy. If I had ten thousand dollars 

 ahead, I would never work another day. Of course 

 somebody has to work or we should all starve, but my 

 advice to a boy is that he get a good education and 

 thus learn how to make a living some other way." 



Here the parent who has true foresight in respect 

 to his child's development is confronted with a serious 

 problem. It is not merely a matter of teaching the 



