The Washington herald., 1914-05-16

Boys Mother was not always stopped,
and shabby, and gray. although to look
at her now one would think so.
Once upon time, when Boy was just
a little tad, she was as fair as lily,
with hair like spun gold, and eyes which
held bit of heavens own blue.
If we reckon time by years that was
not so very long ago. but If we count
by the number of hurts that may come
to the human heart it would be far back
in the past that Boys Mother was
young, and beautiful with the radiance
of happiness.
| The first real sense of tragedy and
loss came to her when God took Boys
father, some ten years ago. turning all
her yearning heart to the little eleven
year-old lad She would awaken early
in the day thinking of Boy and his flu
ture. Through the sunlit mornings her
thoughts ran through the same channel,
and at eventide when the moonlight
filtered through the trees. and the leaves
rustled their vesper -ong the theme was
the same.
Always it was Boy.
At first she laid big plans. for Boys
father had provided for the future of
his little family. How grateful she was
! that she would not have to scrimp where
| the lads education was concerned !;
would have to deny him nothing, quite
| forgetting his character in her concern
| for his creature comfort and her plans
for the brilliance of his education.
Folk said her absorption in him was
a mighty good thing for Boys Mother.
1t kept her from grieving too much over
his father, and gave her something to
! live for. and, as she watched the manly
little figure fitting in and out among
his playmates, she smiled the sort of
smile which can come only from a moth
er's heart.
Realized His Power.
Little by little Boy realized that he
had but to crook his little finger to gain
his mothers undivided attention. She
fetched and carried for him-denying
| him nothing, and so great was her servi-
tude that long ere the dawn of his man.
hood Boy developed into an insuffer-
able snob, with the very fixed idea that
God made mothers for an unending, I'M
firing, and absolute subserviance to their
sons.
Then came the crash.
Boy was eighteen when it happened
just ready for college.
The family lawyer broke the news. He
explained to Boys Mother in private
that there would not be enough left
from the wreckage of her investments
to keep even a modest home going.
But. fortunately, you have Boy" he
remarked with sigh of relief
Whereupon Boys Mother broke down
and sobbed.
boy work." she cried brokenly.
why, of course answered her legal
to keep him from working? Isn't he
a perfectly strong. healthy chap, and
didn't he graduate from high school last
year? Lucky you have him to lean on"
But she objected between sobs. ''he
was going to college in the fall. Oh, /
can never tell him what has happened. /
had such big plans for him
In answer to which the lawyer gave
her pretty sound talking to which she
didn't hear at all because her brain was
active with schemes for averting the
catastrophe for Boy
1t couldn't be done. For a time she
kept il all to herself, but before the
summer was over the financial pinch
forced her to take him into her conf
dence. !
Thought Only of Self.
"a pretty kettle of fish," he exclaimed
in high indignation. "A rotten deal, l
call il.
And when he had thus delivered him
self he flung out of the house in high
dudgeon.
Through all the night the heart
broken sobs of Boys Mother were
heard by no one save herself, because
she was quite alone in the house, and
when, after day or two, he came back
it was to tell her in most condescend-
ing manner that he guessed he was
quite capable of taking care of himself"
having secured position which was
promising enough for chap of eight
cen.
T And so began the DAYS and weeks and
months when the last of the lily fair
ness faded from the face of Bows
Mother; when the shoulders that once
were SO dimpled and white acquired an
habitual stoop, and her slender hands
became rough and red with household
drudgery.
Boy was much too busy making his
own way in the world to notice. He
was entitled by birth to the best social
ly, he told his mother, and he INTENDED
to have it, in which she quite agreed