Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-04-23
OUR DEFECTIVE FATHERS.


Having ascertained the result of the
1880 race. the Young man was about to
drop the paper when something caught
his eyes. He started to read it.
"Come on said his friend. rafting
the dominoes impatientiy on the mot
tied marble of the cafe table. its
twenty past 2 now, and we must have
one more game before we get back to
the office"
mo hurry. Dick said the other, the
governors away, and / heard Benson say
he was going to have tooth out, and
mightn't be back till g." Benson was
the manager.
oh. all right" said Dick, lighting a
fresh cigarette
His friend grinned over the paper.
This is bloomin' funny" he said.
what is it ?" queried Dick
"Why, a girl joined the Mormons and
sloped to America. Her father borrowed
some money and went after her. And
when he got to New York they wouldn't
let him through Said he'd got heart
disease and fired him back"
'IIa hal chuckled Dick "Bloomin'
FUNNY" And they resumed the domi-
noes. Il say, Bert" said Dick at the
end of the game, why don't you leave
home and 90 halves in my digs?'
Il would if / could afford it, said
Bert, for | can't stand my old man.
did he rag You about Monday tight ~
queried Dick
NO, luckily, he had an attack of llm.
bago, and went to bed early. Mother
sat up for me, and, of course, she would
not tell him | was squify. 1t was nearly
? when | got in"
whats the matter with the old man,
them"
"Oh, he says / ought to give mother
more money. | give her ten bob as it is.
How much does he think | can take home
out of two quid a week? And he was
shirty because | lifted couple of cigars
found on the mautelpiece, and have been
using his razor lately | told him mine
was blunt the old fool
HE gases about what he's done for
me, and says | take everything as q mat
ter of course. because | asked him to lend
me 25 bob for my season ticket. | told
mother yesterday | was sick of him.
What did she say"
'She said he's always telling her he's
sick of me. And what with his going
on about me and his going on about my
brother Bob, she says she's sick of her
life"
"AE sick" grinned Dick I'VE are a
merry family, we are, we are, we are
What's Bob been up to?"
"Oh. he's been foolin after some Girl
and getting into debt Took her out in
trap and ran over some old chap. and
his relations came round and tackled my
old man. Said Bob was driving recl,
| lesslv. and they want ten qud compen-
sation. Injured his knee cap or some
| thing. So dads got the needle about
| that. too. Says everything seems to fall
on him Bob told mother straight that
with man like father there's no encour-
agement to stop at home. He says
same as me, that if he could afford ii
he'd clear out. And, as | say to her. ]
amt a kid now I'm man, and | like
to be treated as a man. Let's have an
other game
| They had another game, and sauntered
back to the office See YOU at the Pa.
vilion tonight" said Bert as they en-
tered, "and if the old man says ANYTHING
more to me about my money matters anC
my follies, and all that much, | mean tc
! tell him plain that he's the sort of father
/ that drives sons away from home ano
makes 'em go TO the bad"
Meanwhile, the fathers of England are
being uubraided by bishops and states
men, This question seems to have ex
cited SO many people lately that
/ thought il would be interestino fo oct
the opinions of few fathers on the
subject Of families.
| nrst addressed myself to an old gen
tleman-very wealthy-with one son
What is your view of children as a
source of happiness?" l asked. He
frowned. Take that boy of mine" he
said, grimly. II sent him to Oxford and
told him he could go to Cambridge. too
if he liked. l gave him means to keep
his end up with the sons of dukes and
earls. He got into society that | wasn't
good enough for, and then he went and
married a harmaid"
Perhaps it was all for the best =
murmured the mother
An fer the best" groaned the father
Why, she hooked him like a fish. and
she drinks like one. And so does he.
| can't do anything with him"
| realized that the subject of children
was not popular one in that house So
went and interviewed a friend who I
thought could be regarded as an author.
ity-a clergyman with seven daughters
and four sons. He said his sons had left
home, ard he hoped they were doing