The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1921-02-23
TAKING THE BOY PAST
THE DANGER LINES

Our boy entered the public school
at the age of six years. He was very
fond of his books and was soon in
classes with children much older than
himself Often in the evening some OF
his classmates and their mothers
would come in and while their moth
ers and | would knit and visit, the
children would get their lessons and
play Morse, fox and geese and other
simple games. When spring came a
croquet set was bought for him and
many happy hours were passed that
way. | always played with them.
As he grew older young lads with
their best girls came Sunday after
moons and we all played croquet and
ate melons and had a good time. 1t
was an understood thing among his
friends that they were always wei
come.
Oh as birthdays rice cake and
dinner was enjoyed by him and all the
boys of or near his age. One of my
friends said to me once, How can
you stand their noise and the extra
trouble?" | told her just so they left
the roof on the house | was glad to
have them with me, as the time would
come when my boy would be gone
out in the world and wanted him to
remember a pleasant childhood.
Almost every week crowd OF
school children came to spend the
evening We would pop corn, make
ice cream or molasses candy. Work,
| hear some one say Yes, but my son
was at home | knew his friends and
did not mind the work. AT IA years OF
age he entered high school, his health
never good, broke down the second
year and he was forced to leave
school. He came to me and asked for
party. asked his father about it
give him the privilege of entertain
ing his friends at home or he would
always be gone. His father thought il
over and told him "All right"
That summer our house was a CEN
ter of merriment and | am sure his
father never regretted his decision.
When he was IL years of age, we
moved from Tennessee to Texas, but
the boy was very dissatisfied. Then
came the most serious time in my life
Nothing pleased the boy. He was used
to Tennessee-raised girls and these
strictly Southern girls did not sui,
| him at all. He came home from his
first party and said to me, 81 saw
more drinking men tonight than
ever saw in my life, and you can say
what you please. but the girl that will
dance with half-drunken man is no
account" and he refused to have any
thing to do with the young people.
One day he asked me some ques-
tons about cards. The men on the
farm would go to the river every
Sunday and play cards. / spoke to his
father about it. He promptly said he
would have no card playing around
his house. l told him as we both knew
little about cards | thought we had
better let him learn about them from
us, for if we did not, he would go to
the river and play with those men and
soon would be playing for money.
The next time the boy went to the
store after groceries, his father told
him il he could get deck of cards TO
get them and we would play with him.
We allowed him and boys of his own
age to play at home and one more
danger was passed, as he never cared
to play anywhere else but at home.
When he was a little past eighteen
years OF age he met the girl who later
became his wife. and today he is a
steady Christian man; a good hus-
band and father and the dearest boy
in the world to me, his mother.
Mrs. John Freeze In Southern
Agriculturist.