The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-02-25
KEEPING THE BOYS AT HOME.
Margaret Meredith, in The Country
GentIeman)

You are very uneasy about your
boys. They are out on the street too
much at night, and perhaps you find
yourself unable to prevent it. People
tell you to make home pleasant" to
them, and you feel that that means
luxuries beyond your means. Very
likely you do not realize that there
are certain things which cost hardly
anything, some of them nothing, which
are most powerful of all in making
home an attractive place to stay in.
The first is good-natured treatment
In this the father is especially potent.
You are worn out when you get home
at night, and the dinner hour is not
much better nor the hurried early
morning Now, are you good-natured
to your family, or are you not? You
live for your children, perhaps are
shortening your life by hard work for
their benefit; and you think they ap-
preciate you, so as to overlook what
you call "a little crossness.'
But they do not even know it. How
should they? You are too proud and
do not think much about it. What
your children do know and feel is
evenings at home most unattractive
to them with fear of gruff and angry
treatment With them as with wives,
as with all human beings, kindness is
the most drawing power in the world.
Next to crossness the thing which
chiefly drives a boy out in the even
ing is what / may describe as the
lack of welcome at home. This idea
surprises you, but has it not actually
crept into the family attitude? You
are very tired; your wife is very
tired;' and it is the only chance you
have to rest during the twenty-four
hours. Your one heated and lighted
room is small, and there may be sew
era1 children and a baby. Who can
blame you that you feel more COM
Portable when the boys are out? And
the next night, if they stay in longer
you are inwardly wishing they would
go and leave you at peace. All too
probably you show some of this out
wardly, and the boys feel themselves
more at home on the street corner.
Along with your habit of enjoying
their room better than their COM
pany, grows up the habit of mono
policing whatever accommodation
your living-room has. They know that
if they come into it they will find
the space around the lamp pre-empted
and also the space around the fire,
and the lounge, and the better chairs,
possibly all the chairs. There is really
no place for them; unintentionally
they are crowded out
1t is not Injuries they are suffering
for, but necessities, a seat, a light,
and tolerably undisturbed spot to
sit in to read or work out some boyish
scheme Most of you are so poor that
these things are impossible to secure
for your sons; it is largely thought
lessness. You dare not notice that the
room is occupied to their exclusion.
You could make visiting friend vel
come, and will accommodate him.
Let me repeat the refrain which fits
every paragraph: Smiling, sunny
kindness gives the most solid happi-
ness possible for mortal to bestow
particularly to those smaller and
weaker and under his power. A very
rich mans son, an established profess
sional gentleman, said in my hearing,
"My father never treated me as if
he thought very much of me, and
am so happy now with my wife, who
seems to regard and think well OF
me-" One saw at a glance an embit
tered boyhood and youth, in the lap
of millions.