The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-06-19
Why They Trained
Their Boy to Be
a Soldier
By F. A. Mitchell

Julius Dabney, seventeen years old,
was his parents only child. When he
was a little fellow he said very smart
things, and they confidently expected
that he would some day turn out to be
a leader of men. When he was not
saying smart things he was eating
candy. AS soon as he had eaten enough
candy to upset his stomach the house
hold was upset by his wailings and
complaints. Then his mother put him
to bed and spent most Of the day try
ing to persuade him to take medicine.
When Julius passed into boyhood he
developed taste for athletics. He
would play baseball till he became ex-
hausted. Then he must be treated with
all the consideration due an invalid.
At fourteen he was fairly strong boy.
An excellent skater, fearless rider;
indeed, everything a boy should be,
except for an extreme repulsion for
work-that is to say, he could neither
bring himself to do drudgery nor could
he be driven to 1t. If his mother told
him to weed the garden, he would
argue the point with her as to whether
or no 1t was worth while, taking
ground that vegetables could be bought
cheaper in the market than they could
be raised.
AS Julius grew older and more was
expected of him, there was proportion
ate additional disappointment. Instead
Of developing a taste for things useful.
he turned his whole attention to things
ornamental, lavishing all his artistic
taste on his own person. His habiH-
ments absorbed his entire attention.
He was good looking and quite ia
vorite with the girls. but since they
were about his age and corresponding
ly light headed, their liking for him
was no great compliment to him.
This is brief resume of julius first
sixteen years In world which he had
come to consider had been created for
his comfort and pleasure. The outside
world liked him. He had droll way
with him that usually renders one pop
ular He was considered Intellectually
above the average. But
According to his own estimate, he
knew more than his father. his mother
and every other. human being the
world contained. 1t was next to i'm
possible to get him to assist in any
household duty not only on account Of
his repulsion for work, but because he
would assume the entire direction Of
what was to be done. Once in awhile
some Of his suggestions Of way were
excellent This was unfortunate, for
1t convinced him that he was especially
fitted for leader.
julius parents on his seventeenth
birthday had a conference upon their
sons worthlessness.
II don't know what's the matter with
the boy" said his mother. I'm afraid
he is physically weak"
They don't take weak boys for foot
ball." objected his father. II know
what's the matter with him very well.
He has never been broken. Do they
expect colt to be Of any use until he
has been broken to harness?"
What do you mean by thatY
Both q colt and human being are
animals. Both need training, but Of a
different kind. We educate our boys
Intellectually, but not practically. Nei-
Their you nor I am competent to break
In our son. have a plan. The ma
tional guard has become liable to a
call from the United States. / have
heard 1t rumored that they are about to
be ordered to the Mexican frontier.
From the moment of their departure
they will begin to become soldiers.
They will learn to obey and to endure
propose to put Julius into the nation
al guard"
"How viii you get him to JoinT
BUY him q uniform"
The youngster was tempted into the
national guard by the splendor of his
uniform, and a week after his enlist
ment he was on his way to Mexico
What he endured there, how he got a
knowledge Of his real worth In khaki
as private soldier, what respect was
paid-or, rather, not paid-to his opin-
ions by his officers, the contempt with
which his comrades treated any shirk-
ing-all these are too voluminous to be
detailed here.
One day In the following spring
Julius, soldierly young fellow,
straight as an arrow, whose uniform
sat well upon his stalwart figure, en-
tered the gate Of his home, hurried up
the front steps and into the house. His
father was engaged in taking down
stove. julius Rugged his mother, who
was looking on; put his arms around
his father, drew him away from his
work, threw Off his coat and, taking
the stove on his shoulder, carried it to
an clubhouse and deposited it there for
the summer.
well, my boy" said his father, 81
think you're broken in."
Eyes, dad. am. 1t was an awful ex-
perience at first, but after l got the
new run of things I liked IL I don't