The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-12-16
A LITTLE WAY DOWN THE
STREET.
NJ BosERT ]. ErnDETrE

:
" Down street"
aThen when she wanted to know
whereabouts down the street, yoO said-
son. inst little Ssys-"
Noe. don't think you intended 70
lie 10 your mother. As rule, you are
truthful boy, and your mother can be-
lieve YOU. But l wonder if you know
how far down street you were last night
You we're right when you said you were
down street whenever boy comes
home late at night, and is ashamed or
afraid to tell Just where he has been and
what he has been doing, know as well
as be does, and his mother knows, and
everybody who knows anything about
BOYS knows, that he has been down
street"
And more than that, my boy; l know
that he has been a long way down
street" A long way. Have YOU a map
Of your route last evening No? Well,
never mind We know you we're down
street, and We can make map in min
ute or two. Sit down here, and we'll see
how far boy travels when be leaves
home after supper, and goes do Sn the
street little way" and doesn't get back
until ten O'Clock, or late.
Here is your home, this bright little
spot like star on the map. The sweet
est, purest, safest place this side Of Heav-
en- the home where, from father 70 baby
they love you better than all the rest Of
the people in all the big, wide world.
Nov, you start from here, and 60 down
street somehow the street always has
a down grade from home when you
sneak out after night. See how far you
get from respectability and self respect,
when you reach this corner, +" just little
WAYS down." where you loafed-eh ?
Well, III say ' loitered if you prefer it
where YOU loitered last night And
here are the fellows with whom you 'lOi-
tered" You had TO meet them here, be-
cause you can never meet them in your
home, for two reasons; in the first place,
your father wouldn't permit one Of them
10 come into his house, and in the sec
ond place, you would be ashamed to in
Site them there, whether your father for
hade it OF not. Sweet gang" for your
1ather's son to loiter with, isn't il :?
it's long ways from your respectable
home, from your mothers friends and
your fathers guests, - this corner down
street" isn't il?
Then-lOok on the map, my boy-see
how far it is from manliness and decency.
Two ladies hurried past this corner
friends Of your mother. Possibly they
had been spending the evening at your
home Thank Heaven they could not
see you as you slunk back into the dark
doorway, feeling like the sneak that you
were and as they passed by, one Of the
loafers with whom you were lettering,
shouted an insulting remark after them.
Your cheeks burned in the dark at that
Didn't your home and your sisters
seem to be q thousand miles away Just
then?
See, too, how far you were from purity
Some of the boys told some stories do
you think you can repeat them to your
sisters Don't you wish you had never
heard them ? Don't you know your mind
viii never again be as pure and innocent
IS it was before you went "just a little
way down she street last night While
you were listening to these stories, punet-
usted with profanity, the dear ones at
home gathered in the sitting room, your
father opened the Book, and read they
knelt at the family altar and commend
IL themselves TO the keeping Of the
Heavenly Father, and tenderly remem-
bered the noy who was Just little way
down street" Then the lights went out
one by one, the house vas still, and only
the loving mother waited anxiously and
sleeplessly for tie boy who was down
street" 1t Wss more than ten million
miles away from the sweet, old chapter
that your father read, down to the sto-
ries that you heard down street, my boy
And what a steep grade, all the way
down
And it was long, long way from the
truth. When you evaded your mothers
question, and said YOU were only a lit
tie way down street, the lie in your false
heart looked guiltily out of your eyes as
it rose to your cowardly lips. Just see
where you were you, ordinarily brave,
manly, truthful boy; turned into a liar
and a coward You would fight,
know, ifany boy called you such names,
but just tell yourself the truth don't lie
10 yourself Weren't you ashamed to tell
your mother where you were? Yes.
Well, doesn't that make YOU sneak?
And weren't you afraid to tell your IA
ther? Yes. Well, what does that make
you ? And did you tell the honest truth
when your mother asked where Won
were? No. Well, what are you then
And let me tell you that the half
truth and half lie you told to your
mother is ike all halfbreeds it has all
the worst traits of the vilest race, end
none Of the virtues of the best.
But" you say, a boy doesn't have
10 go with toughs and rif-raf when he |
goes " down street -; there are some
mighty nice boys go down street at
night" Ny boy, I know it; there are
'one " mighty nice boys 90 out nights,
but they are not so nice when they come
back. You can'tselect your company on
he street. The corner is free to every-
body. There is no exclusireness in
street company. There is no safe cor
her for you after night except the Chin
ley corner. And when you leave that.
md spend the evening on the street.
md can give no account Of your doings
N yOur return beyond the bald stale
nent that You were just down street a
little ways, we know, with pain and
'orrow, that our boy has locked up in
MS heart shameful, guilty things that he
isre not tell in his home. Keep Off the
'treet after night, my boy. Other peo-
pie will think better Of you, and what is
far more important thing, you viii
hink much better of yourself.
Confidence!