AMERICA 1900-1910 --'THE KIDS' (Part 1)

SEIFERT

Posted By: David (email)
Date: 3/7/2004 at 21:16:28

'AMERICA 1900-1910'

'THE KIDS'

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School, that unavoidable misfortune which befell all freedom-loving kids, offered a rather somber introduction to the world of books. While in some urban schools children were beginning to learn by doing things themselves, millions of youngsters still cut their reading teeth on a five-book series known as McGuffey's Readers, containing short tales, verses, pronunciation and spelling lessons, and an anthology of English and American literature. Written in the 1830s and 1840s by a university professor named William Holmes McGuffey, they remained the literary staple for countless schools well into the 20th Century. McGuffey grew up on a farm chopped out of the Ohio wilderness, and his Readers were successful because in an America still predominantly rural they spoke the language of rural children.

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A Story:

Charles was an honest boy, but his neighbor, Jack Pilfer, was a thief. Charles would not take anything which did not belong to him; but Jack would take whatever he could get.

Early one summer's morning, as Charles was going to school, he met a man who had oranges to sell. The man wished to stop and get his breakfast, and asked Charles if he would hold his horses while he went into the house.

But he first inquired of the landlord if he knew Charles to be an honest boy, as he would not like to trust his oranges with him, if he was not.

Yes, said the landlord, I have known Charles all his life, and have never known him to lie or steal; all the neighbors know him to be an honest boy, and I will engage your oranges will be as safe with him as with yourself.

The orange man then put the bridle into Charles' hand, and went into the house to eat his breakfast.

Very soon Jack Pilfer came along the road and seeing Charles holding the horse, he asked him whose horse he had there, and what was in the baskets. Charles told him that the owner of the horse was in the house, and that there were oranges in the baskets.

As soon as Jack found there were oranges in the baskets, he determined to have one, and going up to the basket, he slipped in his hand and took out one of the largest, and was making off with it.

But Charles said, Jack, you shall not steal these oranges while I have the care of them, and so you may just put that one back into the basket.

Not I, said Jack, as I am the largest, I shall do as I please; but Charles was not afraid, and taking the orange out of his hand, he threw it back into the basket.

Jack then attempted to go around to the other side and take one from the other basket; but as he stepped too near the horse's heels, he received a violent kick, which sent him sprawling to the ground.

His cries soon brought out the people from the house, and when they learned what had happened, they said that Jack was rightly served; and the orange man, taking Charles' hat, filled it with oranges, as he said he had been so faithful in guarding them, he should have all these for honesty.

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QUESTIONS:

1. What is this story about?
2. Which is the honest boy?
3. What kind of boy was Jack Pilfer?
4. What is the job of a landlord?
5. What kind of character did the landlord give Charles?
6. How can boys secure a good name?
7. What advantage is there in possessing a good character?

To Be Continued . . . 'The Old Hometown'

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 29, 2004