The Dolores star., 1923-04-13
In Memory of
JAMES p. BELMEAR
who died April l3, 1918, and
ETHEL BELMEAR
who died April 8, 1919.
In Memory Of Ny Father.

To other people my father must
seem very simple and unpretentious
figure. He was neither rich nor famous.
So far as can recall he never held any
public Office. He hasn't grain of the
politician in his whole makeup.
Yet if my father had made hundred
million dollars. had been elected presi-
dent of the United States, and had
become the most celebrated man of his
time. he might have been worth less to
ME than he is. just as himself.
Part of my debt to my father is this
inheritance of health and sound body;
an inheritance which, if use it wisely,
promises me long life in my turn.
But that is not all. My father hasn't
simply grown old. He has shown me
by his example how to keep on growing
in other ways while | am growing old.
My debt to my father began farther
back than l can remember, before
could even walk or talk. l don't mean
| the obvious debt of food and clothing
and roof over my head. Those are
things that practically all of US have
owed to our fathers for more or less
protracted period. And small thanks
most fathers get for them! Moreover,
if the time comes when this debt can
be repaid in kind-food, clothing, and a
roof over their heads-how many of
US feel that it really is debt?
In my earliest childhood my father
began to teach me very rare and
faction of using my mind. When l
was only baby he taught me the
rudiments of thinking. He did this by
asking me questions and explaining
| things to me.
| He taught me also to look for what
is good and beautiful. Almost the first
word l learned to speak was pretty.
He had way of saying it that always
appealed to me. He always look ed for
and found the beauty in life.
l owe a great deal to him because he
always treated me with respect. That
simple sentence means more than l
can express. know of no surer way
to breed self-respect. in person than
to treat him with respect. When my
father did that the inevitable reaction
in me was the desire to deserve respect.
l liked to watch my father with other
children. They almost always felt at
ease with him. / have seen a child
| COHiS UP DeSloC iiiiii, lOOh dl Hliu Win
curious apprasing look which children
have. and then slip its hand into his
and walk with him, talking as freely as
if he were its own father. Half the
time it was child he did not even know.
did not realize all the things have
mentioned when was child. l
neither understood or appreciated that
l had wonderful father. That came
later. 1t came too late for me to let
him know. So many of us find out our
debts only when it is no longer possible
to acknowledge it-not to the one to
whom the acknowledgement would
mean so much.
But if you ask me, / will tell the
world-and no slang about it either
that, as father my dear old dad is all
to the good! The debt owe him is a
debt for value received. From the
very beginning to the end he was my
comrade, my teacher, my friend. He
never played me shabby trick. When
think Of him, hold my head up in
pride, and bow it in respect. That
is the way feel about my father.
MARY BELMEAR.
Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri.