Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-22

Written for The Star.
Did II ever strike you-began the mar
ried man-that one big reason why so
many poor boys are winning out all the
time Is because their mothers are not to
be numbered among those women who,
Immediately that sons have been given to
them. start in to raise them UP, not in the
way bots should go. but in the way mark
ed out for girls?
One of tile cardinal principles of this
latter class of mothers is aptly illustrated
In the instructions that Mrs. Howard gave
her young hopeful when he was to start
for public school for the first time:
Now. Willie dear" she began, II want
you to remember that you will undoubt-
eddy meet a lot of bad little boys who will
want to fight with you. But hope that
shall never never live to hear that my pet
has been so brutal and unmanly as to hit
another boy. no matter what the circum-
stances.
IF any bad little boy does hit you do
not strike back if YOU love your mother.
because that would he very, very vulgar,
indeed. and very disEraCeful. But if he
will not leave you alone after you have
asked him to politely. then tell your
teacher, and when You come home, tell
mother and she viii sec the bad little
boys mother and get her to make him
leave my little man alone. Do you under
stand, Willie dedT2'
Willie nodded. and when a bad little
boy hit him a sturdy blow on the side of
the head the second afternoon Of school,
by way of finding out what sort of q chap
Willie was, Willie said. as politely as the
sting of the blow would let him, please
stop But the bad little boy kept glee-
fully on, and when Willie. calling 10 mind
the second step for him TO take Is per in
structious informed the bad little boy
that he was going TO tell teacher on him,
Willie speedily found himself lying Fat
upon his back under the bad little boys
knees. and he remained there until the
other grew weary of pummelfng him.
Never Fought Back.
When Willie reached HON that after
noon re looked much in need of liberal APP
plications of the contents of the family
arnica bottle. But first he had to assure
his anxious mother that he had not once
offered to strike back. Then he was clasped
to her bosom. and was told that he had re-
manned steadfast under great provocation.
that he was mothers really. truly little
man.
In such fashion was Willie received at
home whenever he ran afoul the bellger-
ent fists of other boys, with the result
that he soon became scared to death of
his own shadder," in the language of the
fellers." He also became confirmed
wilmer, and the disgust of his father grew
apace: but the latter was held in restraint
by his wife who kept saying in mollify
ing tone:
but, Henry. just think how much more
truly noble and manly il is of Willie not
TO fight, as you would have him; but in
stead always to remember that We should
ever turn the other cheek whenever we are
attacked by our enemies"
Luckily for Willie, there came a day
when his mother was compelled TO go to
distant town 10 nurse an invalid sister,
and no sooner had she taken the train
thence than Willie's father took the young
ster in hand, with these words:
See here, young man, don't let me hear
you coming home tonight from school
b,ubbering that Johnny Jones or Sammy
Smith or some other kid has been jumping
on you. and has blackened your eyes or
bloodied your nose You won't get any SYM
pathy, now that your mother is away, for
your father has no use at all for a boy
who hasn't sand enough in him to take his
own part and fight back when some boy
jumps on him. Now. what | want you to
do is 10 fight back. and fight back hard
and be man about il. DO you under
staUdY
Developed Hardness With His Fists
Any boy. no matter how much he has
been led astray from the masculine View
point by the advice OF an erring but we'll
meaning mother. grasps readily such
straight. but red-bIooded talk. and so It
was not long before William Quintard How
ard developed a hardness with his fists
that proved decidedly surprising and de-
moralizing to some Of his former tormen-
tors. In fact, lie showed such a decided
tendency To swing too far the other way
In his cNuberauce over his new-found
prowess that It became necessary for hts
father. who had been watching his sons
fistic career with unconCealed pride, to talk
further to the boy in this fashion:
Young man. l told you not long ago TO
fight back whenever any Of your school
mates jumped on you. 1 meant ii then,