San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-30

now, and there was nothing for me 10
say.
If mother could give us a pleasure,
how she would work to do it," said
the little woman suddenly. sPressing
a gown, stuffing eggs for us toltake TO
picnics-making her orangecake, it
was famous. When we were blue
and we were such selfish little pigs
about not sparing her our moods
how patiently and lovingly she used
to comfort us. everything was coming
out right. why-we would all laugh
at these little deprivations a. d humil-
iations some day, And when anyone
OF us did happen 10 do anything in
the least admirable remember her
at school conference.-the her old
brown silk, and her cotton gloves,
beaming-beaming. That was her lit
tie girl reading there in the white
dress-that was her boy being ap.
plauded-
"Oh, it's not much credit to us that
we grew up decent citizens" she broke
off. with q choke in her voice. "She
did it. We can thank her that Jean
and have been able TO take our PAGES
beside fine men-educated men. My
brothers can thank my mother Lnat
they have gone steadily ahead-thank
all those old days when she darned
and cooked, and coaxed US into games,
before us her ideal of goodness and
service and love"
Her voice died away on a note of
love and pain, and l was silent, too,
thinking of another mother-of many
indeed, the unpaid and unthanked and
uncounted soldiers of the nation, whose
service is so much greater than any
that of any Nelson or Grant or Napo-
leon.
This is my comfort, said my COM
panion suddenly, Ito think that she
did see us grow up to be happily
started, end that a thousand simple
little things gave her absolute delight
things that richer women take for
granted, l mean. / mean when Dicky
bought the first little car, and used
to take her riding, and when We were
prosperous enough to have Jean and
me better dressed, and TO have a man
once q week to take care of the gar
den and the chickens, and to have
mother occasionally go to the club in
the afternoons. In those gears i sup
pose she said a thousand times: How
blessed we are" She was happy-ut-
terly happy. We like to remember
that. You can't say that of many
women" ended the little American,
with an appealing look.
And after all, she understood youth
and she knew just how inpatient and
unreasonable it is" j added. for her
coffort and my own. You meet your
mother all over again. the day they
first put your own child into your
arms. All your life you are coming
to know her better. understand her bet
ter, just Gs she did with her mother"
My mother actually gave us her
life" said the other woman. "She
gave Jean her wonderful home and
husband-Dicky his fine work-George
his career-me-this. If only she
could have known"
she at least had found the secret
Of happiness" l suggested. And [
thought of another mother / know,
strong and splendid person who
launched one family of four into the
world. and after an eighteen=year-long
struggle with widowhood. poverty and
responsibilities. seeing them all happily
married, moped idle for a few uncom-
Portable months and then plunged
straight into the thick of the fight
again. and took upon herself the rear
ing of two small orphan girls.
She speaks very poor English, this
other mother of whom ] speak, but
what she says may be translated into
something like this:
"Why should / sit idle? I'm only
fifty-fOur. | never was better in my
life. l can't live with any one of the
children. / can't learn to play bridge
or bind books at my age. There's one
thing / can do well-raise children.
and have little place where my
grandchildren can come to find me-
If my boys want to give me money.
well and good If not, can get along
on what l have,"
For she has found, as many a strug
Cling little mother of today will live
to discover, that there is something ex-
ouisitply satisfying in these sacrificed