Basket Of Chip-dirt

( Originally Published 1885 )

WE have had frequent talks, first and last, upon the subject of "What Boys should read." There is at this day such an abundance of good reading matter that no one has any excuse for indulging in objectionable reading. The presses of our enterprising publishers teem with good books, well writ-ten, often beautifully illustrated ; books of travel, adventure, biography, science, and the like ; and so cheap that few need be debarred the privilege of owning at least a few choice ones. The libraries are full of them, and most of you can get them from the public library, the Christian Association library, and other collections. Moreover, there are now many juvenile periodicals, like the Youth's Companion, St. Nicholas, etc., which furnish weekly or monthly the best of reading admirably adapted to the young. I think, therefore, there is not the slightest excuse for feeding on husks.

The following incident illustrates the evil effects of pernicious reading. I do not sup-pose it occurred in this city, but I cannot justly say about that. The scene of the incident is supposed to be at the family fire-side ; the time, "early candle-lighting." The persons introduced are father and son.

" Charles, come here. What is the meaning of such a report as this ?"

Report of Charles M. Smith, for term ending Nov. 27, 1884. Arithmetic, 57; Geography, 69; English Grammar, 43; Reading, 85; Spelling, 71; Writing, 70; Average, 66. Deportment, 72; General Standing, 69. Whole number in Class, 19; Rank in Class, 19.

" No. 19 in class of nineteen. Foot of the class ! Well, well. That is my boy Charlie, is it ? How did this happen? "

"I don't know, sir."

"Don't know, sir ! Who does know ? When you first entered the Everett School, a year ago last September, you ranked No. 3 in a class of thirty. The next 'term you were No. 6, in the spring No. 10, and at the close of the year you stood No. 14 in a class of twenty-four ; and now you come home with this report, No. 19 in a class of nineteen. Well, where will you be next term ?"

"I mean to do better next term, sir."

"Well, but just explain how this has come about."

"I can't, sir."

" You can't ! Has the teacher marked you unfairly?"

"I think not, sir."

"Does he show partiality?"

"I don't think so, sir.

"Well, then, how is it that you are at the foot of the class?"

" I can't tell, sir."

"Can't tell. I can tell you, Charles. Do you see that basket filled with apples ? " "I do, sir."

"Empty out the apples upon the floor, in the corner of the room."

"I've done it, sir."

" Now take the basket out to the wood-pile and fill it half full of fine chip-dirt."

"Here it is, sir."

"Now put in the apples."

Charles piled on the apples till the basket would hold no more.

"It will not hold them, sir."

"Will not hold them? But it did before. Pile them on."

Charles piled up the apples as long as they would stay on, and then said, —

"It will not hold them all, sir."

"Pile them on ; pile them on. It held them all before."

"Yes, father, but now the basket is half full of chip-dirt."

"Ah, my son, there 's the mischief. When a basket is half full of chip dirt it will not hold a basketful of apples. You have been filling your mind with chip-dirt stories, and how do you think you can then fill it with arithmetic and spelling? How many volumes of Oliver Optic's works have you read?"

" I have read them all, sir."

And how many dime novels ?"

"I do not know, sir. I have read a good many."

" What papers do you read?"

"The Fireside Companion, The Boys of New York, and The Boys' Own."

"Well, my son, that basket must be pretty nearly full of chip-dirt by this time, and how do you suppose you can now pile in the geography and the grammar ? "

"I never looked upon it in that light before."

"Well, my boy, take the chip-dirt back to the wood-house and see if the basket will hold the apples then."

Charles quickly left the chip-dirt outside, and filled the basket with the apples.

"Does it hold them now ?"

" Oh, yes, sir ; it holds them all now."

"Well, my son, it will not be so easy to empty the chip-dirt from your mind. But I caution you not to put any more in."

Charles understood the meaning of this. It was a good example of object teaching, and the next term, although it cost him many a severe effort to keep away from the chip-dirt, his record was far less unsatisfactory. He was no longer below rank. It is to be hoped that Charlie will yet crowd out the chip-dirt from his mind by filling it with the good and the true.