The Washington herald., 1916-04-03

Old sayings often express pithily a deal
of wisdom was reminded Of the one
have used for the subject Of our talk to-
day, AS the twig is bent. the trees
inclined" by the story ! recently heard
Of one Of our members. She came to me
to pour out her grief over the loss OF
her third and youngest son. not by death,
but by reason Of his enlistment as
sailor.
He is my baby. Aunt Chatty." she
said. His two older brothers both ran
away to sea. one after the other, when
they were eighteen years old. That hurt
but they had been different from this
boy. They were more independent Of me,
and they were a bit wild. too, but Elmer
was always at my knee. l used to have
to ask him why he did not run out TO
play with the boys when he was little
fellow and he always said II was because
he didn't ike to leave me alone. / thought
would always have him with me. and
now he has gone like the others"
did he 90 as they did without telling
you? Without asking your CONSENT! !
inquired.
No" she answered. wiping the tears
from her eyes. He told me he wanted
to go, and for a time he said he would
not go unless l gave in to 1t. But he
was getting more and more restless, /
could see; he would sit for long time
just staring before him, and he would
jump as IL he was frightened If any one
spoke to him. At last. he began to tell
me that he would so anyway when he
came of age, that something too strong
for him was pushing him to go. He was
twenty-one this March, and just two
weeks ago he came and told me he had
a place on a ship and was going. So he
went / am blaming myself that l would
not move out to Colorado as my husband
wanted me to years ago when our boys
were little. He said they would have
more chance to make men of themselves
out there than here in the East where
there wasn't so much opportunity for
business, but ! couldn't bear to go so far
from the people had always known, and
didn't want to give up the pretty home
we had bought and were furnishing with
our little savings.
Then my husband died and I was left
alone, and l was glad we had. not gone
among strangers, but II it had kept my
boys with me It would have been better
for me, I guess"
TT is strange" I said, that the three
boys should have had the same desire.
Can you account in any way for the wish
to 20 to sea that they all felt?''
i NAT is Wnat, 1 came 10 see you dpOuls
she then said. Our minister came to see
me when he heard I was so broken up
over Elner's leaving and he asked me
the same question. He was sitting in the
same chair Elmer sat In so much, and
when / told him the boy sat there and
stared at the wall so much all those
months we were talking about II. he
looked to a picture Of the sea that hung
there a picture of a vessel with big white
sails tossing on the green waves.
Have you had that picture long?' the
minister asked. Yes, ! told him, 1T was
one of my wedding presents. My husband
liked II and he used to hold the boys up
to see 1t when they were little fellows
and talk to them about how pretty
1t was. And they used to come inso
the room and stand before it and talk
to each other about II. They would
pretend sometimes there was a storm
at sea. and sometimes they would talk
about 1t being fair weather when they
looked at the ship. 1t was always
one of their games Then the min
lister said 1t was the influence OF the
picture that had made all three boys
love the sea and want to go OF in
ships. have been thinking a lot
about it since he said that and l
have come to ask you what you think
about 1T. Do you suppose II could
have been that picture?"
This is homely little story Of the
tragedy of one little woman's life.
but 1T holds a lesson for every one of
us. That mother never had the slight
est idea that her picture was anything
but picture to her boys; 1t never oc-
CURED to her that a picture hanging
on her wall would have any influence
over their lives And yet that was