isa-normaladvance-1915-00033

Description:	THE NORMAL ADVANCE33there be no golden apples in the bag, and hisconscience told him that there were none. Finally he got up courage to enter.My son, said Proud Parent, have youbrought the golden apples?Without a word Average Boy opened thebag and out rolled four goose eggs.Proud Parent was sorely vexed at his son,but he did not lose his temper. Instead he became sorrowful and his eyes filled with tears.My son, said he, you have shaken my trustin you. No doubt evil companions have beenyour undoing. But I will give you anotherchance on the morrow.At these words Average Boys conscienceoverwhelmed him and he promised in tears todo better the next day.Then methought I beheld that shady glenonce more, where but a day since I had seenProud Parent and his son. This morningProud Parent did not speak at length to hisson, but pressed his hand and whispered:Remember your promise.Average Boy went on his way, not heedingthe groups of youths going in his direction. Hedetermined to avoid all company, for hethought in this way to avoid all evil friends. Atthe River of Disqualification he met LaborAgent who accosted him, saying:You see I did not speak an untruth. Nowyou have wasted Twenty-four Golden Hours ofOpportunity and have gained nothing butgoose-eggs. Imagine for yourself the richesyour friends, who harked to words, must havegained by this time.Average Boy debated thus with himself:Labor Agent speaks truly. I might havelaid thrice sixteen golden apples at my fathers feet instead of four goose-eggs, bad I followed this mans advice. But I am better latethan never. I will go now.So Average Boy left the Highway of Education and hurried down the Path of ManualLabor. He ran an hour before anything wasapparent. Then he saw a tree, which seemedto be dead. Quickening his pace, he found thatthe tree had been literally torn to pieces. Nota trace of an apple was left.He hurried on, passing many who did nothave his endurance. He passed many torndown trees, and at last, about sunset hereached a high hill. On the other side he beheld a crowd running wildly. With a shoutof hope he sprang down the hill, only to findthat the throng was so great that he would haveno chance to get any of the apples. He passedseveral trees where the crowd seemed forbiddingly large and at last halted before a tree,where, on the topmost bough hung a hugegolden apple. He dashed into the struggle,and after a long fight made his wTay to the tree.Despite the efforts of those around him heclimbed up the tree and for a moment AverageBoy Possessed a golden apple. He saw thatit would be almost impossible to fight his wayout of the crowd, but he resolutely starteddown. Every man in the throng who could,laid his hands violently upon Average Boy, sothat by the time he reached the outer part ofthe crowd, he held only the stem of the apple.It was too late in the day to go further sohe started sadly home mournfully eyeing histrophy.At least I may show my father a bit ofgold, however small, he thought. Just thenhis eye caught a brassy look about the stem,so he tasted it and found his souvenir to besolid brass.Woe is me! he cried, I have betrayed myfathers trust again, and wasted my own timeto the end that I might have a worthless brasstrinket, a bauble of no worth! O my shame!When he reached home he threw himself athis fathers feet and told all that had happened.My son, I still have faith, said Proud Parent, I will give you a third trial before I condemn you.Again at morning, Average Boy started onhis way. This time no one gave him a Godspeed. He was neither gay nor sorrowful, but
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34843
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

Further information on this record can be found at its source.