Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-10
A TRAINING SCHOOL
MOTHERS MAY MAKE GOOD HUS-
BANDS OF THEIR SONS.
Make Him Serve Her TILL the Habit
is Deeply Instilled and VIII
Remain.
Written for The Evening Star by Grace Dune

Written for The Evening Star by Grace Dune
Boylan.
A training school for husbands is not
among the many beneficent institutions in
America. That such an impression has
gained credence abroad may be accounted
for by the fact that American husbands
are the best in the world. No one. not
what it is that makes them so good. They
just grow that way and they are properly
appreciative and glad.
Perhaps the American mothers have
something to do in making the way smooth
for the feet Of young wives. There Is a lot
written and said about the mischief moth
ers-in-law make In new household. But
every manly and chivalric trait that makes
a man worth loving is the result Of the
training that he received in boyhood. "A
good son makes a good husband.
1t is at the first home fireside that boy
is taught consideration for others and,
above all, respect for womanhood. The 1T
tie chap who defends his sister in the snow
ball battle will guard some other woman
from the storms of life.
The wife who sees in her husband the
protector and knight without fear ana WITH
out reproach is certain to have some graft
tude for his mother. 1t Is only the woman
who spoils her boy who Is entitled to the
blame of her daughter-in-law. That mother
deserves censure who makes herself slave
to the man-child that she has nurtured; ;
who bends her back for the burdens that
his young shoulders should bear and grow
strong in bearing; who runs to fetch ana
carry instead of sitting like a queen on ner
throne of motherhood while he serves ner
with loving and ennobling homage.
The Object of Mother Love. +.
I admit that the desire to give ones
heart for a dancing floor for those soft and
tender feet is overwhelming. All love Is
humble. But there is none so ab5ect as
mother love. A woman pours her youth.
her strength. her every hope Into the
challce that she proffers to those baby lips
than her life to give to the imperial stran.
ger And so, while she holds his little feet
In her hand and her bosom Is the only
world he knows, she wraps him In the full
ness of her love without restraint. is
only when he has grown a little wise and
exacts tribute that she, II she Is to nave
future happiness, withhoids some measure
of her service. For the sake OF her who
will come into his life when love pipes az
her lattice the mother must be strong
enough now to teach the feet she loves to
run to serve her.
A boy should be taught to walt upon his
mother and to consider himself shamed II
she puts on the coal or performs any Of the
tasks that are for the "hewers OF wood and
drawers Of water about the house. There
have been any number OF good men spoiled
by their mothers mistaken devotion. The
boy who lets his mother bring in the
kindling will let his wife chop the wood; for
1aziness Is the most progressive quality In
the world. More than that. The sense Of
chivalry once dulled Is not easily restored,
and chivalry is as fair a thing In woman's
eyes today as it was in the time of Sir Ga
lahad.
aren't you ashamed Of yourself to let
your mother lift that heavy bucket of coal?''
questioned father, looking over his news
paper at his son.
Eyes," replied the up-to-date YOUTH "but
It's hereditary. Grandma says you always
left such work for her. and mammals used
to it,
The woman looked up, startled Then she
set the coal hod down with a determined
air.
''That's It," she said. 'Tt began with
your mother, but" she looked at her son,
at Is going to stop with Bert's. Son. get
ready to be a good husband and begin by
putting on that coal!'
The revolution was somewhat late In the
day, but it will have its effect.
There Are Others.
The newspapers devote a great deal Of
space to the records Of unhappy homes, and
the casual reader naturally believes that
every roof shelters domestic malcontants.
This is far from the truth. America is a
land Of homes where old-fashioned love, as
sweet as lavender. abounds. where mutual
changeable devotion.
small part of a large and powerful popula-
tion q the penalty of the few to have