Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-12-16
Drop Him or Show Him to Mother

who observed the incident to be re-
lated knew her. She lives in his part
of town A right nice appearing and
we'll brought up girl of 16. Her conf
panion was a goodlooking young fell
low enough. stranger to the observ-
er and looked like stranger in town.
Had the appearance of young trave.
ling man. They made very good
looking young couple, says the Mar
shalltown Times-Republican.
If they mad been sanding before
the residence of the girls parents OF
strolling thru that part of the town
or together on Main street the man
who saw them would not have nc
ticed anything unusual in it. If he
thought anything about it he would
have smilingly concluded that the
| girl had company from out of town
and that the orchestra was playing
up the curtain on the first act of tho
little play of loves young dream In
that case he might have gone past
without even seeing them. But they
weren't. They were walking on by
street as far away from home as it
was possible to get, part of town
where the girl was not likely to
meet members Of her own family or
of neighbors. So this pair immedi-
ately stuck out of the landscape
The man wondered why a by-street
and section Of the city not celebrat
ed for beauty and interest and fra
grant with odors not of Araby should
be selected for fond appointment.
And he wished the girls father knew
not especially for the sake of the
girls father, with whom he has
small acquaintance, but for the sake
of the girl.
Sure, it may have been all right
He may have been her cousin and
they may have been on their way 10
visit the sick and the widow or TO
call on old family friends; but the
man who saw them doesn't believe It
and he isn't looking for evil but fo-
good. The man has seen so many
such instances and they have been Sc
full of future sorrow and sometimes
of shame that he couldn't exactly be
satisfied that the little girl hadn't
been foolish enough to have picked
up an acquaintance that she felt her
people would not approve and was
keeping we'll away from the homo
and the neighbors with him.
No, there was nothing really wrong
in the presence of the couple off IT.
the by-street. 1t was broad daylight
and school hadn't been out over al
hour. There was nothing apparent
in the attitude or action Of the young
folks that spelled wrong. But the
man had seen so many girls fooling
the folks, had observed so many light
feet trip into the flowery side streets
and had seen so many weary foot
! steps seeking the way back to the
main road that lie wished the girls
father knew.
No, he didn't tell him. Few of US
do. None of us have any desire to
play the part of hen huzzies. Then
too, it might have been all right. But
| it didn't look right and the man still
wishes the folks at home knew. The
best thing the girl could do would
be to tell them. If she can't take
him home and show him to mother
there's something wrong somewhere
and even worse likely to come.
( -O-
It's only the cheap guy who
knocks on an enemy. Lord Kitchen
er's statement that he considers it
lnsportsmanlike to be continually
knocking on the Germans demon
strates that he is manly Britain
who does things instead of telling
cheap stories about alleged atrocities.
"A brave and daring man" was the
commander of the cruiser Embden,
terror of the Pacific, according to
CAPTAIN Glegg, captain OF the trans
port steamer Loyat, one of the ves-
sells sunk by the German warship.
which has been put out Of business.
The comments of Lord Kitchener
and Captain Glegg have the right
ring; the knocks of the fellows with
large mouths sound puerile.
Are you kind and generous to-
lward your neighbors? asked the up
litter.
/ should say am, replied Mr..
Crosslots. / let 'em listen to my
|phonograph every evening and neves
charge 'em a cent.