New-York tribune., 1920-05-09
BOSTON. luna 20 1901

My Dear Grandson: I congratulate
you on your having reached, with 80 few
drawbacks and so many teeth, your first
anniversary. From all that hear about
you, am satisfied that you have made
an excellent beginning Of the great en-
terprise which men call living. am as
sured that, 80 far as the outward for
malities and decorous duties Of life are
concerned, you have been especially OBJ
servant of the proprieties and constantly
mindful Of the social obligations imposed
upon you by the new and novel relations
into which you have been so lately
thrown.
Your grandmother, whom you will find
to be a most excellent person when you
come to know her as we'll as your father
and l do, has been very much gratifed
to learn that during the entire year you
have been regular at your meals and
have not been out nights. She believes
this to be the only proper beginning of
successful career, and she desires me
you have practiced in this regard is Ger
tain Of its reward She learns also with
satisfaction that you do not eat with
your knife or make 8 noise in taking
your soup. For although there have
been Presidents OF the United States
who did both without disturbing our
relations with foreign governments, it
is not the less true that good behavior
at the table always promotes domestic
peace and may sometimes prevent for
eign complications.
The first two or three years of q
mans experience here are of necessity
very trying. He is ignorant Of the Ian
guage, and his circle of acquaintance is
extremely limited; his freedom of
movement is fettered by the diaper; his
stomach is never entirely trustworthy
in the discharge of It's functions, and
there Is q constant exposure to the ex-
asperations of the vagrant and ire
sponsible pin. If, under all these de-
pressing conditions, he maintains rea-
sonable degree of equanimity and takes
everything with that cheerful philosophy
which many of US fail to learn even
from the lessons of experience, he not
only deserves great credit, but he gives
the most encouraging assurance of a
happy and useful life.
Thus far, my boy, you have accom-
vIi haI HI ,SI
to be remarked with expressions Of ad-
mira ton by all. You have been both
amiable and modest. Doubtless in the
novelty Of your new relations you have
desirable to you which. for reasons you
did not fully comprehend, were kept out
Of your reach. That you have made no
outcry at the deprivation, but simply
gent interest and quiet satisfaction, is
one Of the signs Of that greatest earthly
possession, q contented mind. May you
have it always, my boy. And when, by
and by, the strange accents Of the now
unknown tongue become familiar to you,
and with the gift of speech and power Of
utterance come hope, aspiration and
trust, when, as l hope you will, you shall
put this greatest gift to its highest use
and looking upward say reverently,
sour Father" then pray, my boy, not
for anything that seems good to dull
sight and low desire, but only for
contented mind. For that includes, as
it is conditioned upon, all the virtues
that sweeten life and lift up man.
Your name. my boy, means laughter,
and you are the fourth Isaac" in a di-
rect line. l think we have not belied
the name, for | am quite sure we have
occasioned more laughter than tears in
this world, and there is some comfort in
thinking that we have in way con-
tributed TO the general Joy Of mankind,
even though we may not have added
much to its knowledge. It may be we
have not taken the world so seriously
as we ought, still it seems to me that
he lives not unworthily who helps to
tighten the cares of his fellow men, even
though it be but for moment. 1t must
count somewhere.
So, namesake and grandson, I give
you greeting on your first turning Of
rhe year Your -Fec.iorlta nd
-ather. ISAAC II. BROMLEY.