Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-09
Personal Gossip Soclv Notes Womoms Work Household Topics
Mothers of
Boys and Girls
gy ADA PATTERSON

He has dehed you, has he?
He has wrinkled up his little snub
and ireckled nose, perhaps clenched
his tiny hands and declared household
war in the family You have Hun in
the household On the face of it ii is
discouraging. But beneath the surface
show of things there is hope.
How can | say that? | would not
say it if saw the red and angry little
face, heard the impertinent words
hurled forth by rebellious mouth.
Yes, | could, for | have seen what
manner OF men these boys become.
know man, big one, big of soul,
big in body and in attainment, who,
nodding merrily at his tiny mother,
complained that she had spanked him
so hard and so often that his memory
of his childhood was one series of
slipper-raised blisters. The quaint lit
tie woman who had administered the
punishment always answered; "A bad
boy you were, that deserved more
lickings than you got, if I'd only had
the time to give them to you
Rebellion in the family. A Hun in
the household Yea. verify. But the
bad boy grew into big man, and the
big man grew a bigger and bigger
figure in his community, until there
was proffered him the honor which
had been his mothers life dream.
The boys want to nominate me for
United States senator. Har he said
one night
The clicking of her busy needles
cease She looked at him through
moist eyes. Her lips opened, closed
First time ever knew you to be
without words. You're not sick, are
, your" he asked with affected light
ness.
Hush, son! You know this honor
for you is what I've lived for for
years. L"
| He patted her narrow shoulder with
his broad hand. He stroked her
white hair with his clumsy brown
fingers. They said not a word, those
two, but the silence that fell between
them was an eloquent Grafton on am
bition fulfilled and happiness COM
plete.
The man was elected. The night
of his election the little mother died.
She died without knowing that the
honor that had been offered him by
few had been made his BY the many.
She didn't know the number of votes
he received, the handsome majority
he rolled up. Her bad boy had be-
come a good man, honored Of his
fellows.
The mans heart nearly broke at her
coffin side. think she must have
known that, too, for her smile had
grown sweeter as they hid her away
beneath the brown November loan.
The boy who had been saucy and dis
obedient was man, humbled and
crushed before her.
And so, discouraged mother, if you
are of the ninety-nine among one hun
dred, will it be with you. That anger
Redeemed face will soften with the
years. The swelling little heart will
empty itself of indignation and All
itself with understanding. Years
bring knowledge and knowledge
brings due appraisement of the
worthy mother.
But don't lose your temper because
he has lost his. Don't raise your
voice to him. Those rage-flled tones
will reverberate endless echoes down
the years. He will remember them
with humiliation. He will hide from
the world, deep in his own heart, that
his mother sometimes acted as though
she hated him.
Give him patience, tolerance, long
abiding affection to remember, for
memories of you; and presently you
will live in his heart with halo
about your head, in his mind. Your
life will be an inspiration, your mem
ory benediction, to him.
He will quote your words. as I have
heard hundreds of the men, great in
the worlds councils recall the words
of their mothers. He will say, as
they have said, with the simplicity OF
a little child, What am my mother
made me-" "All that am | owe to
my mother
Take heart, mothers of boys and
girls. Some time they will know
some time understand Fruit ripens
slowly. So does character.