he beatings may only further
undermine control. But the lack of self-control will manifest itself in
many ways and must be remedied at all points. The discipline of daily
living in the family must come into play here.

Sec. 3. SELF-CONTROL

The matter of self-control is not separable into special features; one
cannot learn control under one set of moral circumstances without
learning it for all. The boy who strikes without thinking is simply one
who acts without thinking. He tends to throw away the brakes of the
will. The regain of control comes only through training at every point
in deliberation of action.

Probably there is no other point at which children so frequently and
readily learn control as in the matter of speech. The family where all
speak at once, where a babel of sounds leads to a rivalry of vocal
organs, is not only a nuisance to the neighbors, it is a school of
uncontrolled action to the children. Just to learn to wait, even after
the thought is formed into words, until it shall be my turn or my
opportunity to speak is a fine discipline of control. To do that every
day, year after year, tends to break up the hair-trigger process of
action.

Control is gained also by the acquisition of the habit of thought
regarding general courses of action. We can hardly expect meditation on
the part of little children. But those who are older, those entering
their teens, may and should be able to think things out, to plan out the
day's actions, to determine their own ways of conduct. Children who have
the custom of quiet, private prayer often develop ability to see their
conduct in the calm of those moments. They get a mental elevation over
the day and its deeds.

Sec. 4. GOOD FIGHTS

The evident danger of undue deliberation of action must be met by
another cure of the personal-conflict spirit; that is, the substitution
of games of rivalry and skill for the unorganized rivalry and "game" of
fighting. The transition from the bloody arena to the excitement of a
game is very easy and natural. But the game is the boy's great chance to
learn life as a game to be played according to the rules. All that the
fight calls for--courage, endurance, skill, quickness of action, and
grim persistence--comes out in a good game. Here is a suitable youthful
realization of the fight that is worth waging. Our participation in the
youths' games, our appreciation of their points, our joy in honestly won
success, is the best poss