The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-24
FOLLY AS TT FLIES.

''It Is always just the little things
That lead the heart astray;
So harmless seeming; yet their st1hss
Are felt some after day
The mother who attempts to cram
wisdom into a head that Is not Ilpe
for 1t, or who spends Valuaoie .in-e
In warning a youthful son against
temptations which are likely to prove
huge stumbling blocks in his future
career, is 1rp against q job winch Is
more apt to prove fruitless, as 20 pear
the hoped for results. To begin WITH
it>is true that what a youth does not
know about, he does not banker al
ter.
1t is generally source OF great
worry to the women of the small toWn
when her son. who has Just cast ms
first vote. declares that the one-norse
town in which he was bred ana porn
lis too slow for him and he has MADE
I'D his mind to seek his fortune In the
city When tears and approximations
fail to change his resolve, his FAMILY
yield to the inevitable: but his mother
does her best to enlighten him as to
the evils to be encountered in the
great cities, where crime peeps Iorh
wieh the oncoming dusk and stalks
boldly abroad under the dim, h1cker-
ing light of the stars He hears more
of hidden family history in the next
few weeks than he would have I'M
earthed In a life time, under normal
conditions With broken signs his
mother warns him to beware OF the
dangers of the great; white way, and
the beautiful painted girls he will
meet, who lure youths who have no
resisting power to their undoing.
your father was taken in by one
of these she adds hesitatingly. He
saw a beautiful creature weeping at
midnight on the street. He was fool
ish enough to stop and ask the cause
of her tears.
".I have just been turned out of
yonder house because couldn't get
work, and could not pay the rent
He was soft hearted and had no sense.
!" Poor soul, how much do you over
he asked sympathizngly. tA
/" Twenty dollars she answered
!" The least have is, a hundred dol
lar bill. II could get 1t changed.
IL
The landlord can change it, she
answered quickly. Oh, T thank you
You are a. noble man.
He accompanied her to the place
designated.
/" Please wait outside on the steps,
and will get It changed she said.
You may know how trustful he
was He believed her. handing out
the bill he had been so 1onga IN saving
up. The door closed gently after her.
He sat on those steps until broad day
light. It took a passing policeman a
long time 70 make him understand
tnat ne mad 'neen the victim or mis-
placed connoenceA Inc mouse was
Empty. u d
OUT Ta1neT ihau more lessons 70
learn Next Tune ne was the victim
OF brace OF gamblers. VINO cleaned
out his pile with the aid OF a roulette
Wneel. Later on ne Tell 70 the charms
OF dashing chorus girl. He spent for
one dinner Tor mel all ne could earn In
week. Ills attentions were but a
stepping stone TOT her as she gained
rich sutton who did not have to
work Tor his money. He fell into the
hands OF sharpers who scId him g
ring one OF them had on his finger fol
twenty-nve dollars, saying 1t was
worth two hundred and that only dirk
necessity compelled him to part with
1t. A jeweler told him that two dollars
would have been an extrayagant price
to pay for that bit OF glass and brass
He fell IN with evil companions,
put In his mother For nonr.ls he
drank up every cent he made. Wher
sick and pennaless he came back tt
the old town. He had learned hi
lessons and was then content to set
tie down. we'd and remain home It'll
he passe~ away
youth who listened. Once in the grea