The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-08-20
COST OF A BOY AND H1s DIVIDENDS.

oOne one has been making calcu-
lations concerning the cost of boy.
The writer computes that by the
time boy has reached the age Of
fifteen, good boy, enjoying the adj
vantage of life, costs, including COM
pound interest on the annual invest
ment, not less than five thousand
dollars. If the boy continues at
school and goes to college, he will
cost not less than five thousand dol
lars more by the time he has reached
the age of twenty-one years.
In making this calculation it is
supposed that everything is included
which properly goes into the ex-
pense account There is the item of
living-what it would cost if all had
to be paid for in money at SO much
per week. Then there is the hire of
a nurse through the hours of baby
hood, and of teachers from the time
the child is old enough to be taught.
All this, of course, the mother does,
giving her days and nights to it,
nor even thinking of putting a valu-
alton of dollars and cents on what
she does with such unwearying love.
Nevertheless, there is a money
value on all this material service
at least if there were no mother, and
if it all had to be hired and paid for
at regular rates, the cost, year after
year, would be very great. There
is also the cost of clothing, doctors
bills, of education, of books, and of
all that is done for the boy in the
home during the year.
1t is only the pecuniary cost that
is included in this interesting compu-
tation. There is another cost which
never can be put into figures. No
price is put upon the mothers love
and solicitude and care and tears and
prayers, and the fathers toll, strug-
gle, self-denial and self-sacri6ce.
There is no computing the value of
such services, and yet these make UP
by far the greater part of the cost
of the boys bringing up.
An artist was making a portrait
of a mother who had died and was
trying to take out the lines which
appeared in the face of the photo
graph from which he was copying
his picture. NO." said the son,
don't take out the lines. Leave
them. everv one. 1t would not be
my mother if all the lines were
gone" Then he spoke of the years
of disinterested love, the long time
of sickness when the mother had
nursed the children through scarlet
fever and diphtheria, and how she
had given out the best of her life in
most costly cure. "Oh, no" he said,
"leave the lines in the picture.
They tell the story of the mothers
love and service" No mere COM
putation of what it costs in money
to bring up a good boy in a good
home bsgins to tell the full price that
hae been naid.
Thus a boy, by the time he comes
to young manhood, represents a
large investment of money, love and
service In matters of business, men
seek for reasonable returns from
their investments. When there has
been an outlay of ten to twenty
thousand dollars in boy, what kind
of return should be expected? A
great many fathers and mothers put
all they have in their boys. They
have no lands or houses, no stock or
bonds, no accumulation in the bank
they have toiled hard for many
years, and all the results have been
invested in their children. Surely
they have right to look for re-
turn. What sort of return should
this kind of investment pay?
First of all, there should be love.
This is the only return that can
bring satisfaction to the hearts of
parents after they have toiled, suf-
fered and sacrificed for their chill
dren. One of their bitterest disap-
pointments of life is when boy who
has had done for him all that love
could do, and has had lavished upon
him all that love could bestow,
through years of infancy and youth,
fails to give to his father and moth
er the love that their hearts crave.
No matter how brilliant he may Sue
ceed in the world, how his name may
be honored among men, no pros
perity and no fame will make up in
satisfaction to his parents for the
want of flial affection. To honor
father and mother is the first duty
of everyone who has been reared in
love. The first dividend that should
be paid on the parental investment
in the boy is love.
There should also be repayment in
character and work. When thous-
ands of dollars have been spent on
a boy in order to fit him for stand
ing hopefully and with advantage in
life, the least that can be expected
of him is that he shall enter upon an
honorable and worthy career.
1t certainly is a most unfit return
when the boy neglects his studies,
throws away his opportunities for
learning, and turns to waste the
money his parents have gathered at
much cost to educate him. 1t is
sore disappointment also, when in
stead of realizing their hopes and
dreams for his character, the boy
sets out in wrong ways, chooses evil
companions, indulging in sinful
pleasures making for himself tar
nished name and spotted character.
1t is surely the duty of every boy
to make his life beautiful and good,
realizing in it, whatsoever things
are true, whatsoever things are hon
orable, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatso-
ever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report" Chill
dran hold IN their hands fhe I1aDDi-