Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1894-08-16
A LITTLE WAY DOWN STREET

mother asked where you were, you said
"Down street." Then when she wanted
to know whereabouts down the street,
You said, ooh, just little ways"
Now, I don't think you intend to lie to
your mother. AS rule you are truth
full boy, and your mother can believe YOU.
But wonder if you know how far down
street you were last right? You we've
right when you said you were clown
street,; whenever boy comes home late
at night, and is afraid or ashamed to tell
just where he has been and what he has
been doing, know as well as he 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 know
that he has been long way down street.
A long, long way. Have you map OF
you route last evening? No? Well, never
mind; we know your were down street,
and we can make map in a minute or
two. Sit down here and We'll see how
far boy travels when he leaves home
after supper, and goes ''down street
little way" and doesn't get back until ten
O'Clock or later.
Here is your home, this bright little
spot like star on the map. The sweet
est, purest, safest place this side OF
Heaven; the home where, from father 10
baby, they love you better than all the
rest OF the people in the big wide world.
Now, you start from here and go clown
street,; somehow the street always has
down grade from home when you sneak
out after night. See how far you get
from responsibility and selfrespect, 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 Here are the
fellows with whom you loitered You
had to meet them here, because you can
never meet them in your home, ior two
reasons: in the first place your father
wouldn't permit one Of them to come into
his house, and in the second place, YOU
would be ashamed to invite them there,
whether your father forbade it or not.
Sweet "gang" for your fathers son to
loiter with, isn't it? It's long ways
from your respectable home, from your
mothers friends and your fathers guests,
to this corner clown street., isn't it?
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 skunk 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 in
eulting remark after them. Your cheeks
burned in the dark at that. Didn't your
home and your sisters seem to be a
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 this morning
that you could forget them forever? Don't
you wish you had never heard them |?
While you were listening to these stories,
punctuated 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 COM
mended themselves to the keeping OF the
Heavenly Father, and tenderly remem-
bered the boy who was ''just little way
down street."
Then the lights went out one by one,
the house was still, and only the loving
mother waited anxiously and sleeplcssly
for the boy who was 'down street. 1t
was more than ten million miles away
from the sweet old chapter that you
father read, down to the stories that you
heard, my boy. And what steep grade
all the way down.
And it vas long, long way from the
truth. When you evaded your mothers
question, and said you were only "a little
way down street,, the lie in your false
heart looked guilty out OF your eyes as it
rose to your cowardly lips. Just see
where you were you, ordinarily brave
manly, truthful boy, turned into liar
and coward! You would fight, know,
if any boy called you such names, but
just tell yourself the truth don't lie tc
yourself. Weren't you ashamed to tell
your mother where you were? Yes
Well, doesn't that make you a sneak
And weren't you afraid to tell youl
father? Yes. Well, what does that make
you? And did you tell the honest truth
when your mother asked where you were
No. Well, what are you then? And let
me tell you that the "half truth and
''half lie" you told your mother is like al
half breeds; it has all the worst traits Of
the vilest race and none OF the virtues Of
the best.