The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1907-03-14
Wise and
Otherwise

4 $1,000
Young man, why don't you be de-
cent? Why mot grow to manhood with
honor and credit instead of stain
upon your character? 1t is Just as
easy. II is always easier to be man
than to be a rowdy. Cigarettes and
gambling and whiskey have had many
a wrestle with boys before you came
on the scene. and they have never
yet been thrown. Don't get the idea
into your head that you can turn the
trick.
If you don't want to be decent for
yourself, be decent for others. There
lis one heart whose sorrows should
appeal to YOU There is one who has
faced everything for your sake: one
who has to bear the cross for your
lfoolishness. You don't want your
trail through this world stained with
a mothers tears. The boy who turns
q brazen face TO a mothers grief
never gets very far on the road to
happiness, When he gets a little
older you find his name on the police
docket of various cities; little later
the dark shadows of stone walls loom
UP across his pathway. Without hon
or home or friends
IT'S sad picture. but it is painted
every day in every town in this
broad land The pathway of the
Itransgressor is one of rocks and thorns.
When you bruise Your feet the world
will laugh at you just as YOU laughed
at your mothers appeals. There is
only one system for boy to follow.
BE decent; it always pays dividends
A little circle of printers sat around
the fire discussing lnefr experiences on.
the road. The talk turned to the sub
ject of matrimony and how best to
get wife with the least possible
trouble. Several were of the opinion
that by the personals in some of the
newspapers and in all of the cheap
periodicals a man could be most adj
mirably suited-that wives were cheap
and easily secured by the daily press
or weekly periodical method.
And yet opinions slightly differed.
Two or three of the little circle related
incidents that had come under their
special notice" of matrimonial spices
ultimately formed by corresponding
with girls whose names were often
found ON sheets of press paper This
they held was at least the surest way
One of the party remained silent
He had taken no part in the conserva-
tion, but sat thoughtful and silent be-
hind the great stove, He was middle
aged man, unmarried, and it was not
long until he was called upon.
Smatter, JIM" he was asked Get
in the game and tell us something.
Must have some experience" COM
mented another
The man referred to as Jim slowly
shifted his chair so as better to face
those about him and slowly began.
Well you fellows talk about mar
rage and matrimony and how to get a
wife and all that but did you ever get
one? Now, YOU guess right about my
EeXperience, but at that it is limited
Il blew into little town out in
Kansas some years ago and got on The
Star. They put me on grasshopper,
and by the way, | had a snap of it.
Well that afternoon I went down
town to buy pair of overails and in
the ipocket / found note. 1T read
something like this will the finder
pISdSe correspond Win ItOSe barron,
Newark, N. J.?'
Il correspondent all right, but | did
not get an answer. | didn't forget
Rose, however, and few months later
when | went east | thought of her
went about fifty miles out of my way
TO see her. | went to the address that
was given on the paper. An old lady
opened the door.
We'll, when l told her about the note
and what ] had come for She just
treated me fine. Asked me in and told
me to make myself at home There
were eight children there, too. the
Oldest about 1S years
Then she explained to me that she
had written the note.
Twenty Years ago, she said I
worked in that factory. | was just
a girl then and was more or less of u
flirt But / never heard from it and
was married shortly afterward. These
|are my children
When / left that woman | didn't
know SO much about the girl and the
marriage as did about what mighty
long time it took for a pair of overalls
to get out to Kansas.
One Whipping Enough.