The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-22
A FOND FATHERS DELUSION.... THE
BURSTING OF A PRETTY
BUBBLE.
"Was General Lee a Traitor 2" A Harmless
Book, A Mere Matter of Eyesight. A
Boys Bran-Box That Would
Have Done Credit to
Boston Museum

Most men have a fond delusion which
they like to hug, and he had his. 1t was
fathers delusion; he imagined that his
boy thought as he did. To be sure, If he
had been asked why his boy should share
his fathers sentiments, he could not have
told, only he had an idea that it was the
way with all boys who have thoughtful
fathers. And he was thoughtful
father.
One day the pretty bubble burst. Like
streak of cruel lightning it came to
him that his boy was not thinking after
his fathers fashion at all, but after the
fashion of the men whose books the boy
studied at school. That is the way with
all boys who study at school, but Fond
Father had not found it out.
Truth TO tell. he had not found time
to find it out. There were Boys books
to buy and the school-tax to pay and
the indefatigable shoe bill, and all that;
and when night came he felt that he had
earned his rest. An honest man who
works all day cannot be expected to tor
ture himself with a boys school books
at night, and it was enough for Fond
Father to know that Boys book strap
was we'll filled. Hadn't he paid his taxes?
Hadn't he bought all the books that were
required? Hadn't he proved himself a
coed citizen? And wouldn't Providence
and the school board and the pretty
teacher do the rest?
How the bubble burst would make q
long story, though bubbles are not usual
| ly long in bursting. Fond Father is a
Southerner-Southern born ana Southern
| bred Not one of the scorching sizzling
sort, but still Southerner. He thinks
as a Southerner thinks. He keeps a sa-
cred place in his heart for the memory
of the boys who wore the gray. He takes
off his hat-in spirit-at every mention
of the name of Lee. He is proud OF the
Old South as we'll as the New-its his
tory, its traditions, It's spirit, it's heroes.
| its authors, its achievements, its men who
brought things to pass. He is a son of
| the South. And he fondly thought-this
fond father did--that his son was son Of
| the South also.
Papa, was General Lee a traitor?"
| 1T was at the dinner table.
Fond Father looked at Boy moment,
and then
'I-l-l-!-!"
That night Fond Father unbuckled his
| boys book strap for the first time.
History lay on top. He took it up. opened
it, ran his eye down the Contents page,
turned to the first chapter on the war of
the Rebellion" and
Five minutes later the bubble had burst.
1t was a very harmless looking book,
that History. One would never suspect
that there was a bit of poison in it, and
we are sure no one Intentionally put a
bit of poison in it. 1t was written by q
gentleman who lives to the north of us ;
but there is no reason in the world why
gentleman to the north of us should not
write a history. And it was published by
publisher who lives to the north of us !;
! but there is no reason in the world why
publisher to the north of us should not
publish history To be sure, the author
did not seem to Fond Father to love our
Southland overnuch but that was hardly
his fault. He loved his fatherland, and if
the heart that had always turned for it's
soothing to the bleak. bare hills of New
England did not throb hard our way, no
body was to blame.
After all, it was mere matter of eye
sight. ALI his life he had gazed lovingly
upon Northern scenery, listened to the
story of Northern achievements, cast
flowers at the feet of Northern heroes,
passed his leisure hours with Northern
books; and when he came to write of the
South's part in history-well, the North
was SO near and the South so far; and
the only vision that came to him was a
| little gauZy outline of far away land
of spices and scorching breezes, hanging
on the ragged edge of his beloved country
"a land where alligators and rebellion
grew, and men sat in the shade listening