The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-21
WHATNOT
"DIes crit proegeiida sInistra.
quum."

Fond Mother-I have received your let
ter. and have carefully considered It's con-
tents and the INQUIRY you made sv OF me me !
receipt for making long trousers Tor your
boy.
i keenly sympathize with you In your
trouble. though | doubt IL your son IS
getting away from you so much as you
fancy AT all events. for you to make
his long trousers Is scarcely calculated TO
retain his affections ands command that
unauestioning respect that boys of the
right sort give their mothers without the
asking.
My mothers trousers are TO me. to this
day. my one unhappy recollection OF
home. All tribulations OF a minor sort
are forgot. long since sealed In the urns
Now. mothers can be almost everything
to a boy that his developing aspirations
require-except his tailor. To fancy they
can also be that is a mothers weakness
l know how you feel about IL. although
personally. ! have never been a mother
With the shedding OF his knee breeches
and the taking over OF long trousers, you
can't help feeling that you and your son
have, In measure. come TO the parting
Even so, do not contend against the ir-
refragable laws of nature. IL is hard.
know. But you Will only make IL harder
by undertaking 10 make the boys long
trousers. The inevitable conflict between
your long trousers and your boy ls NOT
a
mother to make long trousers for her own
son that look like real trousers is task
for which nature seems To have failed 70
make suitable provision. You may with
pies, his johnny cakes and his bed-for
an Indefinite time TO come; But pause
ere you send him out into his cruel little
world of boys with a pair Of home made
trousers around his legs. IL he Is good
boy-yes, even though he be a pretty
bad boy--he is worthy OF better things.
nd Va a
trousers age his feelings are entitled TO
consideration. even from his parents.
In the matter OF trousers, the distinc-
tion between the professional article. even
OF the cheapest grade, and the amateur,
is impressive. and always In favor OF the
professional' You n,s as S mother isss may may
p ppebena ape IT, But s YOUR 1s boy will viii and worse
than that the other boys will. cannon
myself intelligently describe 10 you
wherein the difference exists mat ~
more a matter of instinct. like telling
mushrooms from toad stools, or good
from evil generally. however manifested.
/ do not know that mothers have that
instinct. l think likely II is lacking In
them. or at all events is In very primi-
tive state OF development. Aunts ! think,
have II as a rule. and in sisters II Is
strongly indicated. l don't know as
ever knew OF an instance where sister
made. pair of long trousers for her
sional aunt. on the other hand in grand
mothers that have known. the discrimi-
mating faculty that refer TO seems again
10 be entirely absent.
So. simply because you fear your son
will not accept with composIre the idea
OF home made long trousers. In my est-
nation that hardly warrants the fear that
he Is so soon getting away from nome
and fireside Innumerable are the things
that you can still do for him 10 hold him.
But the effect OF offering 10 make him his
first long trousers can hardly be other
can feel as though 'twere yesterday.
the withering scorn with whlcn mine
sad day when they were on me. The
next day 1 went back 10 knee breeches,
temporarily. pending, the making OF new
arrangements. Mother wept, ana, OF
course. / forgavs her She had worked
very hard on those trousers j guess we
had tried them on fourteen or htteeh
times | remem6er that we spent spent hthey then,
on. My young limbs were slsht Win
pin scratches.
am convinced that only the worst boy
In school could have preserved his pres
tige i'm his mothers trousers. Mother
laid those trousers away tenderly, i
have r. ealized since that she must nave
felt about II much as though ! was dead.
IL was only last winter that discovered
them among some childish effects and !
contributed them 10 rummage sale-not
momentar- bitterness OF recollection.
love to recall the days Of my earlier
youth, but that is one day that wouId
blot from memorys page forever. were
IL possible.
Should you reconsider your desire 10
make these trousers you ask me about,
as | trust YOU will. i cannot promise that
your boy will appreciate the self-restraint
involved. The boy nature Is scarcely ap-
preciative of anything but the most poS-
tive benefices. IL does not grasp subtle
sacrifices. He accepts much that Is done
for his good as a matter OF course. But
I'm the unmlxed JOY that will be expressed
all over him. when he ultimately puts on
his first pair of boughten long trousers,
you will find your reward. DO not give
him any hint of what he has escaped,
lest. FOR the briefest moment you chase
that ioy away. Some day, when he grows
old enough 10 think about such things, IL
may come TO him what struggle this
has cost YOU.
AS the Persion prophet says: Blessed
is the parent who seasons anection with
wisdom
p. S.-Mothers patches, as may be re-
o,irad from time 10 time. are always de-