United labor bulletin., 1914-01-24
BOYS ARE THE LIMIT
BY CLARA STACY.

Il actually hate to tell Jimmy about
IT." declared Jimmy's mother, shiy-
eringly. staring at the fashionable in
vitation card with despairing eyes.
Yes" said Jimmy's father. with
understanding. Then he added,
Boys certainly are the limit"
'Jimmy's nearly fifteen" pursued
Jimmy's mother. Il don't see why
he isn't old enough not to act like
young savage. Whenever l make him
go to party you would think l was
casting him into den of man eating
tigers, to hear him protest. He says
girls are ninnies and he'd rather play
football"
Seems to me-" said Jimmy's IA
ther, that / used 20 like to go to par
ties when l was fifteen. l cant under
stand him,"
"If l didn't stand over him." said
Jimmy's mother, every single minute.
he'd get in his old clothes, with ten
mis- shoes and a negligee shirt, and
wouldn't care, It's just awful, I'm
sure l don't know what my friends
think of me. They must have the idea
that l don't care anything about Jim
my's social progress and it's just as
important to boys future as it is to
a girrsl The friends that he is max
ing now"
Make him go to this" advised Jim
my's father The Miklesons will be
offended If you don't, and it's the right
sort of a crowd for him. It's what he
needs
Il won't say anything about it to
him." decided Jimmy's mother, diplo-
matically, until the day before. Then
! he won't have SO long a time to OBJ
? ject and make life miserable for
/ mel"
Jimmy's mother had occasion many
! times in the ten days that followed to
I be thankful for this decision, for Jim
my proved suddenly very difficult to
/ deal with, in spite of his ignorance
of the fate that was impending
The boy stared gloomily out of the
window and he poured as gloomily
1 over the contents of his desk.
Once, to her great alarm, his moth
er found his sorting out his necktie
drawer.
"Aw, nothin'," he growled. when she
|
this unheard-of interest in his attire.
Cant a fellow do anything without
the whole family buzzing about his
ears? Wish't had the money dad
put in that dress suit of mine, ]
don't get any use out of it! l could
buy two or three dandy football
suits,"
Jimmy did not ask for a second
piece of chocolate pie when it came
on for dessert that night, which in il
self was a serious symptom of some
thing wrong He scorned griddle cakes
the next morning and he said he did
not want any lunch
bis mother felt his pulse, and in
sisted on looking at his tongue.
Il hope said Jimmy's mother to
Jimmy's father. that he won't do any
thing rash when tell him about the
Mikleson party Hes in such a
dreadful humor these days that !
don't know in the least how to han
die him He's likely to say he won't
go. And he's so big that suppose he
won't-he just won't, that's all, oh
dear. l wish he was girl"
When Jimmy caught his mother sew
ing a loose button on his dress coat
she quailed. He eyed the work sus-
piciously. but asked no questions.
Rather. he retired TO chair in a cor
ner and moped.
Finally. the night before the party,
Jimmy's mother mustered up her cour-
age and told him, very fast, so he
could not interrupt Then she waited
TO hear the worst.
/ Her son was staring at her disbe-
lievingly. The Mikleson party" he
repeated. Me going to the Mike
sons."
That was all before he abruptly
bolted from the room. She heard him
presently whistling in his bedroom
and held her head wildly. Jimmy was
young to so insane, but she had heard
OF cases
| "Mother," Jimmy called down.
Don't my dress trousers need press
ing7"
He's going to be IN" declared his
mother to his father later. Il
know he's coming down with some
thing awful"
All the next day Jimmy whistled and
sang and beamed and shed sunshine.
He went like lamb to get dressed
for the party. and he threw away four
ties before he got one to suit him.
He asked his mothers advice as TO
/ the part in his hair. and surreptitious-
ly used her manicure set. By that time
Jimmy's father. too, was impressed
and worried. His family followed
Jimmy's glittering progress TO the
front door at exactly eight o'clock with
breathless anxiety.
Never had seen anything like it.