The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-10-27
Dishonesty With Child Leads
TO Bad Results In Later
Life.
EXPERIENCE PROVES
FORCE OF TRUTH
Mother Makes Son Believe Cow Is
His Then Takes
Money.
By FRANCES CARROLL.

7 UTHER BURBANK. in his book
on The Training Of the Human
Plant" says:
BE dishonest with a child
whether II is your child or some other
persons chiId-dishOnest in thought or
look or deed, and you have started a
CRATER. Grating, or steaIing-for that
is the better word-wiH never be taken
up by a man whose formative years
have been spent in an atmosphere of abb
sOulte honesty"
a recent visit a. a country home de-
monstrated TO my mind the force Of this
truth. The mother Of George Lacy had
given her nine-year-Old son a Jersey
COW. He had been told that the COW
was to be his very own.
Proud CT His Possession.
It was not long after my arrival that
the boy told me proudly of his posses
sion of the COW and OF the little calf
that was now almost ready for veal. He
was in particular estasy over the calf,
not only because its big brown eyes ap-
pealed to him, but because It meant a
dividend to him from his ownership OF
the cow. He confided to me ell the
things he meant to do with the money
the calf would bring. He went about
filed with the dreams Of d financier, the
proud owner Of possession that meant
financial value.
While I was yet there the calf was
sent away to the city to be sold. In a
few days a check for SIC was received.
1t was the money which the boys calf
had brought.
At first the boy thought his mother
MA a al hrrF gf,g
soon made ii clear TO him that she did
not intend that he should have one
penny of the money for which the cali
the calf Of his cOw-had been sold.
But Il IS NINE accused the Indig-
nant voice OF the boy.
and YOU are mine,' answered the
mother. so you see what's yours IS
mine, too
And she laughed.
Fury Lights Eyes.
An expression of hate swept over the
small face upturned TO her own. Blind
fury lighted his dark eyes, but the
mother was too busy laughing over her
pitiable joke to see.
As he stole away to the barn, where
lowed for her calf, Mr.. Burbank's words
came to me: BE dishonest with your
child and you have started a CRATER.
The mother of George Lacy Will be
shocked II At some iAtuIG udgs ltl IVY
is forced to stand before court OF
Justice to answer a charge OF larceny
She will be shocked, and she Will not
hold herself responsible that II IS
so She VIII have quite forgotten the
calf incident Forgotten the money
she stole that was her boys to which
he had every right In the name OF
Justice; the money she stole from him
and, in the stealing, destroyed MS
ideal of the rights OF others. For
surely her theft did not provoke in
his young heart tendency toward
honesty!
She had given him the cow for his
very own. The calf was his The
money for which the calf sold was
his His own mother pocketed thal
which was his, and laughed in his
face.
Expects Him To Be Honest.
Yet the mother of George Lacy ex-
poets him to become an honest, useful
citizen in the world,
The expectation is impossible Of full
flllment.
For she herself has outraged his
sense of Justice; set him an example
OF disrespect for the property rights
OF others which he has every right tr
the world to follow-which, nine
chances out of ten, he will follow.
For unless a mother wishes 70 foS'
ter living stealing, and deceit In hel
child she must respect his rights OF
ownership, and see that the Other
members of the family respect them
Honesty and Justice are the elements
necessary to train The Human
Plant to its highest growth OF man
hood: to its noblest character lorna
tion.