The sun., 1916-12-24
A Boys Bringing Up.

lEhdi Siidi ditu pysNhu DtOonC . q
devoted couple who live In a country
home with their son Leonard. Marshall
II 40 and Sylvia Is SO. but she looks
and acts like a woman many years
younger. That Is because she has kept
her youthful spirit by sharing the
sports and Joys OF her son. who Is 10.
They have kept Leonard somewhat
sheltered and they fancy that he knows
nothing Of the darker walks Of life.
Hi0 mother idolizes him. In the first
act she tells Mrs. Hood, a caller, about
his bringing up.1
Sylvia-I've never believed in lying
to children. It's not fair to them or
to yourself. Turns back leaves Of
album to find a particular photograph
At that age he began to doubt Santa
Claus. He couldn't understand how he
could come down the chimney with all
The presents. So I told him the truth
before "the boy next door" could. He
frstted for a few days. But I reasoned
him out of II by asking him II he
wouldn't rather know that his father
and mother gave him all the pretty
things instead of a long w~hiskered old
gentleman he didn't even know. That
cheered him up, and by the following
Christmas he was quite reconciled to
Santa Claus being a pleasant. childish
fiction.
Turns to leaves and points TO an
other photograph
6ylvia-One day, when he was that
age, he said: Don't tell me the storks
bring the babies. because I know
they're all shut up in the Geological
Gardens. And II the doctor brings
en-. where does he get them" l saw
how his little brain was puzzled. and
instead Of evading the point. as most
10y next door, from telling him in
some hideous way, and giving his mind
the wrong outlook.
Mrs.. Hood thorrihedl-What did
y0u tell him?
Sylvia-The truth.
Mrs. H.-taghast You didn't?
Sylvia-Why not? Is there any more
beautiful truth to tell than mother
1ooA7 That's what l think. Isn't II
better I told my boy the great mystery
Of life as I feel II should be told to
ohildren-not as something to speak
Of in secret among themselves. but as
the most marvellously beautiful thing
In all nature? I taught him why a
man always protected his womankind
because they we're the mothers OF
tho race. They carried in them the
little lives that afterwards peopled the
world. I explained that the tiny baby,
before 1t was born. took its life from
the body Of its mother. that 1t came
into life through the mothers pain
and tears. and that because of that
sacred and wonderful privilege that
God had given to woman all men who
were really men were always gentle
and considerable and tender towards
them. Again I saw the small brain
trying to grapple with its new Won
ders. In a few days the keynote Of
his future manhood stood revealed. He
would watch me %anXiously. Bring me
q shawl II the air was at all cold. a
footstool II I looked at all tired. and
run for my slippers. I had taken on
. new value in his eyes . . I
was not only his mother. I was a
woman, tho wonder woman. who
Og1Lko lOItu CLllluI GIL. Gvcu ht that
ago he had learned what chivalry
meant.
CCloses album.1
Sylvia-I sometimes wonder when I
SEQ women standing weary with their
days work in public conveyances
whether. IL the men sitting stolidly
and selfishly In their seats had been
told in their childhood Of the delicate
mechanism that constitutes woman
hood, they would shame their man
hood by remaining seated. The age
OF chivalry will never die so long as
from the time a boy can first under
stand life he Is taught what mother
hood Is. and what is really meant by
the word woman"
Mrs. IL. tgrunts and shakes her
head disapprovinglyl-It all sounds
very improper to me. I think II
shameless talking to children about
such things. Nothing marvellous
about motherhood to me. The less
said about 1t the better.
Sylvia [smiling. rises, goes to table
behind sofa and replaces albuml-The
more said about it the better. II
mothers don't glorify motherhood, who
will? We should all be careful Of the
hoy next door"
Mrs. H.-What do you mean by "the
boy next door? There's no house
yea here.
Sylvia tlaughsl-Wcll, let us say
the boy chum at school-thc one whC
has learned something, which hi
whispers in a furtivc way AS II II
were a thing to be ashamed OF. Thai
kind OF distorted knowledge causes &
child to look %curiously, and in tn.
wrong way, at his parents. Then Il
10 a thing to be ashamed OF. | saved
Leonard from that. lie only saw tn,
beauty and mystery OF it.