The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-04-01
SOMEBODY'S MOTHER.

We drifted into local beanery yes
terday to accumulate a bowl OF soup
with dill-pickle accompaniment, says
Sam Clark in The Minot Optic. Seat
ed at the counter we discovered an old
lady gipplEg a cup Of coffee and chisel-
ing desolation through slab of apple
pie; beyond this, toward the end Of the
counter. were number of men--most
of them the usual hangers-on at a
lunch counter where flip and sIangy
gazelIes cavort with the chinaware.
The old lady was roughly, yet neat
ly clad, and despite the fact that the
day was warm, her head was bundled
in a coarse shawl which was drawn
down over the shoulders and knotted
at the waist behind. The boys-a
bunch Of rowdies, nothing else-were
having great sport minicing the old
lady; one OF them-a fiaxen- hatred
cissy with a red necktie, who parted
his hair in the middle and his smile on
the side-grasped cup in both hands
and drank his coffee with q decided
accent, making every effort to follow
| the motions of and mock the, old lady.
The other members of the gang of
young toughs were chuckling with
glee, bantering words with the wait
resses and asking "how many eggs
did the old woman bring today" were
there any grey hairs in the butter;"
why don't you give the old girl a
milk STOOL she'll bust her plate on
that rubber pie" and a few more ex-
pressions along this line.
1t was apparent that the old lady
was annoyed and her thin hands trem-
II -. - H.
and slipped the coffee-probably the
first food or drink she had tasted since
long before daylight when she pre-
pared breakfast for a hungry mob at
the farm, gathered together her basket
of produce and bumped into town In
lumber wagon to trade her butter
and eggs for groceries. Once we saw
her glance at the gang of brainless
yaps and just the faintest touch Of
color over spread the withered features
as she caught singing remark;
then she finished her meagre meal
separted 10 cents from the little knot
4 of silver in the corner OF her handker-
chief settled with the cashier, picked
up her market basket and started to
leave the place; as we stepped to the
door and held it open for the old lady
i
smile and thank YOU in return fol-
this simple courtesy, the gang Of
rowdies and hoodlums burst into loud
outlaws"
Somehow the incident fastened itsel,
upon us and we could not resist tht
temptation to make 1t the subject o.
our editorial for today. We havt
thought of the kindly old lady simpl!
L. S. 4. 4raSn 4
picture what would have happened II
" the gang who attempted to make spor
of her, If the strapping big son a
S home on the farm had dropped in an,
= witnessed the scene No doubt the oil,
= mother, as she drove out Of the cit,
that evening, thanked God that her DO
. was just plain, honest farm hanc
Q and not a city-bred gosling; while sh
. may have had dreams of the day whe
y honest toll and frugal life would ieav
= margins enough from the earnings Q
y the old homestead to some day star
= John to college, surely now sh'
would far rather that her boy renal
y an ignorant, plain farm-hand VIII
q would never forget the simple teachin
y of life to honor father and mothe
than that he should become cit
CHAP wiz SPClAuS Ills tcASuAG AtCAIS
. hanging about lunch counter or @
y a street corner waiting to walk hon
y with some freckle-faced Jane WI
p tends bar in second class restauran
y Somebody's mother? Yes, indeed
y And one that any man might well
y proud of. we only hope that this art
- Gle will fall into the hands OF some
those young men who laughed at tn
old lady's plainness. Maybe that thu
ng will stop their rowdyism long enous
lii TO think OF their own old mothers. al
ne In the blush Of shame that must pc
force mount the cheek, may there
ug enough manhood In their niggard
OF carcasses to invoke solemn oath
N. never again make sport Of kindly 2
ue lady who may be Somebody
Mother"