The Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1911, 1911-05-12
BEN AND HIS MOTHER
BY Sam Clark in the A[inot
Reporter.
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Owing to illness, the writer was not
at his desk last week when the death
of Mrs. Louisa Burch occurred, and we
cannot refrain upon our return to the
duties of editor from saying just a few
words in eulogy of this good woman
who has "passed under the rod
Some five years ago, when We assum-
ed control of the Reporter, the office
possessed what we considered regula-
ton "devil;" he was harum-scarum
lad of about sixteen years; had an i'm
mense shock of frey red hair and a
cluster of copper FREEZES that blossomed
on either cheek and reached the climax
on the tip Of an impudent nose; we
learned that his name was Ben, and
when pay-night rolled aronud we noted
his name on the roll as "Ben, Burch. -
Like all other printing Office devils.
Ben did everything but the right thing;
at the end of the second week we fired
him; the next morning kindly, sweet
faced old lady called at the Office to
see the editor; she gave her name as
Mrs. Louisa Burch; her story was sim
pie; she was the widow of veteran
and depended on a small pension and
the earnings of this happy go-lucky boy
to maintain her modest home; she ask
ed that Ben be take>. back and given
another trial The request was grant
ed. During the. first year the foreman
fired Ben no less than dozen times,
but he always got back as soon as his
mother interceded, and she invariably
convinced us that Ben was not to blame
and would do better next time. IT was
plain that Ben-this apparently good
for-nothing lad-was the mothers ideal
and hope; she lived for Ben alone. and
somehow we felt that Ben eventually
would make good, for he loved lis old
mother just as dearly as she loved him,
and invariably we noted the mother S
Endorsement on the back Of his cancel
led pay-check. AS time rolled on, Ben
grasped the working Of a print shop
with phenomenal success and within
three years, he was drawing the scale
with the other union workmen: he
drifted away to the west, where tile
siren Of fortune beckoned; he always
wrote to mother, and mother invariably
either brought the letters to us, or tel
ephoned the contents; sometimes for
tune favored Ben and most times il
didn't; about twice year the past
two years, Ben has drifted back for a.
visit with his mother and few weeks
work at the old shop: only last sum-
,ner Ben was on the Exporter force for
i few weeks, and then the rowing spirit
moved again and he drifted westward,
the last we heard of him was iron, Salt
Lake City, wher he hell good position
OH ne Of the large '!aiiy papers. We
record these incidents merely in cam-
iniscent way, to indicate to the RAIDER
how we came to know Louisa Burc;l
and her boy Ben.
Last week, the light of life faded
and Ben IS mother passed the portals to
the other world. Ben was on one of his
periodical jaunts and could not be 10.
Gated in time to attend the funeral
But within a few days, Ben will come
to visit his mothers grave, and in all
the years to come Ben will make regular
pilgrimages to the little mound at the
churchyard which covers the sacred
dust Of that old mother, who loved him
better than life itself. For Ben cannot
forget-no boy can forget-a gooo
mother.
We might record some of the many
good deeds, the kindly acts, which
characterized the christian life Of thi.
good woman; but we are content to in
scribe upon the tablets of memory thi
one sweet epitaph GA Good Mother
and on next Sunday when all sons o.
Adam and daughters Of Eve wear til,
white flower in memory of mothers VIII,
have passed beyond, many of Us vii
recall Ben IS mother-Louisa Birch.
and no one will wear the emblem NOR
sincerely than will Ben himself
Ben is one of the fortunate boys VIII