The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-10-26
COWARDLY BOYS.
An Incident From which Every Unselnsh
Mother Can Draw q Lesson.

An Incident From which Every Unselnsh
Mother Can Draw . Lesson.
Who is to be blamed when boys turn
out badly, the fathers, the mothers, the
boys themselves or their portions of
original sin? That is q question men
and philosophers have long labored to
answer. A famous old physician used
to say: There's no use talking,
mother has hard time of it! If she
devotes twenty years to her boys and
they turn out badly-she was too strict.
If she tries TO bring out manliness IN
them by gentle words and ways and
they turn out badly-nO wonder!
She hadn't the slightest control OF
them. If they turn out well, as re-
suit of her judicious training. all she
gets is the qualification of hearing them
| spoken of as fine, manly fellows! just
like their father for all the wOrldr"
| The old man, who was a strong
/ champion of womanhOod and woman's
nature. did not so sweepingly eXagger-
ate as one might think. 1t is very true
that to the woman belongs the child.
She is held responsible for its naughtl-
ness. The good that she does is I'M
noted, and with her wOman's nature
she is satisfied that it should be so.
Mothers are proverbially unselfish.
UnselfiShness is lovely characteristic
to possess, but there is little doubt that
it is demoralizing to those for whom 1T
is exercised. Mothers should be wiser
as far as the comfort of their old age Is
concerned. if they were indeed if not
in truth more selfish. A boy or girl,
for that matter, who grows up pos
seSsed of the idea that any thing Is
good enough for mother. that the big
gest share of the best of every thing IS
his by right, is having the nOblest viz
tue of his nature, his innate manhood,
warped and destroyed day by day. He
grows to be ashamed of her bent figure
and old-faShioned ways. His wealth.
if he gain it, is little disturbed by at
tentions to her comforts and pleasures.
If taken into his house and given a
home she is imposed upon by his chill
dren and diSregarded by his wife, as
he has imposed upon and disregarded
her for years.
1t is cruel. 1t is wicked. 1t is un-
natural. but unfortunately she is just
the one who taught him. An example
. of cowardlv boys was seen on New
York horse car. A mOtherly looking
neatly dressed woman entered the cal
with mach difficulty. She had appar
entity been travelling from the country
and was overcome by the intense heat
> Two boys, one about sixteen, one
twenty, entered at the same time. She
sank upon the seat beside the younge1
bow. The other walked to the from
I door and stood quietly looking out
l A few moments later the mOthe
4 turned very white about the mouth
and her lips became blue. Sh
dropped the fan she had been trying t
use, and her head sank upon the boy
e shoulder. The little brute hunched
a up. Il can't help it, she said. ''l'n
SO sick"
, A lady in thecar sprang forward an'
r began to fan her and so continued t
do for a mile or more. The boy neve
5 looked ut her nor offered to do thin
for her comfort. No one in the Ca
4 thought of the other boy as belongin
: to her at all until she opened her heav
: ewes, spoke his name and pointed to
n vacant seat. ''Sit down. dear" II
actually looked mad at her for the sue
1 oestion and went out on the froI
, platform out of sight. When she &C
! out both boys started by themselve
1 one by the rear platform, one by tn
: front, and the conductor helped OF
:, the trembling, fainting. unseltis
: mother.-N. u Graphic.