Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-02-15
The Wavward
r. Id
&, MARIAN h. GtIENSeN

childgvu, >a5G rarurr Fowler to nra.
con smith "SoWH on 'eW uurus oUt
wei ANA >oue dor>ut jtuuus seemed
to me that aIj my yhj|dyyu had ne use
for ne vN,cpl What they uoud Gjt nut
Of me There's my oldest ho} John.
Seems to me that hoy WAS bora con
trary
Il tried all sorts O ways mmktn him
ohcdjcut hut they failed that is, all
sorts q ways except whippjn' him
That | don't hClevc in | shut him w
by himself deprived him Of those
little things children most WISH for
Then | tried Kindness, None " them
ways worked with Johnnie"
"uow about your other children"
asked the deacon. when they were
tttIe?"
] They didn't any Of en- appear to
have much sense q responsibility II
| or their mother was sick and we on
pcctcd en- to give up anything they
thought q doiu' to help us out they
didn't want to do IT, Nothing must In
terfere with any pleasure they laid
'
and my second girl was the hest u the
lot, They're with us yet. Billy's II
fust rate farm hand and his sister
Ruth is very useful. helrin' her mother
with the cookin'."
what became OF Johnnie?"
ooh, John as he grew older he got
lot Of all fired ridiculous notions in
: 1t a hAt. IN.N
was kid He got an idee that
he'd like to he perfcsscr In n col.
lege. Did " ever hear u sich non.
sense? He wanted me to spend all
the money could make on the farm
to edicate him for some useless job.
and when wouldn't do II he got mad
and walked away, sayin' wouldn't
hear anything from him ever ngln
onless he'd done somepin woth doin'.
After all I'd done for him keepn'
him In food and clothes to treat me
that away. tell you, parents are to
be piticd."
Then you don't think children
payF"
mo. they don't In the long run.
When they're little tots they're kind
o. cunnln' and have spnsms OF affec'
ton In 'em. But | never could make
out whether the spasms OF badness or
of affection was the principal part OF
en- Anyway. after all the palms
you've had with 'em they're sure about
the time you get 'em to be OF some
use to you to 80 Off. the gals with
some Teller and the boys with some
girl. and you never get any return for
your trouble"
Didn't 1t pay your father to bring
you up?"
II dunno as II did, I've often
thought that mebbe II didn't"
The gate clicked. and well dressed
man about thirt" came up the walk.
The farmer put on his glasses
"Somepin familiar about him." he re-
marked Seems to me I've seen him
before"
Hello. dad said the newcomer.
"You don't know me. do your
by gum! You beant Johnny, be
your
Certainly I'm Johnny"
"Well. want to know! Come back
to see the old man, eh, my boyf I'm
powerful glad to see you" And he
folded his arms about ais son.
eyes, I've come bnck. dad. When
went away think ] must have been
triie cantankerous was determin.
ed to learn lot OF things that may
seem useless to you. But I've learned
them I'm professor OF biology In
w university
"Do tell what " learned. Johnny
"Why, I've learned that we are born
TO nature, and our parents job Is to get
nature out of us as fast as they can.
We are all animals. only We humans
are capable OF higher development
than those below us But in the begin.
ming there's not much difference no.
tween US md them Look Mt Il now
born kitten and you'll see II clawlng
the air I've seen n newborn baby do
ing the same thing But the kitten
grows into Il cat aud the baby grows
into a man or woman While the civ
ilizcd child Is developing II is simply
getting away from lHj ancestral inner
itancc. 1t has little sense Of RESPONSE
bility. just rs the puppy win eat MP all
the dinner provided for the family II
permitted To do SO. | dare shy, father
you thought me brutal ns n boy, ana
was brutal but | was simply obnying
q natural, not refined. law. But I'm
doing pretty well now ana have come
back 10 look after those left behind
me"
'By gum. johnny, how you talk.
Does biology payF
mot IN money, though my published
books, my salary and my lectures bring
me In fair Income I've something
to spare for you. dad and mum. and If
there's anything | can do for the boys
or the girls I'd be glad TO know IT,"
We'll. Johnny boy. I'm powerful glad
10 see you back or all my children
you was the most obstinate. but you've
got there. John. and I'm glad OF II.