The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1925-02-12
IN PRIVATE
E. M. Megraw


Eight of them sat at table and each
had fling at Dickie - grandparents
and parents, sister and brother and
their missiles, tho only of words, We're
sharp and singing and Dickie grew
"madder" every minute.
He seemed tough little PROPOSE
ton, it is true. He had pitched greed
lily into the feeding process as soon
as he had noisily and rudely taken
possession of his chair.
Grandfather and grandmother look
ed frowningly at him. Their projec-
tiles began with Gin my day.
"Look at those hands," big sister
demanded of the company in general
"I'd be afraid to eat the bread they
touched, but Dick seems to thrive On
germ diet"
Big brothers ammunition required
big gun. He raised his voice for the
mention of some perfectly awful thing
Dickie had done that day, and Dicks
shortcomings, which were generally
very short indeed, were resurrected
and hammered at one after another.
Father looked as fierce as South
Sea Islander as he said, "I'll tend to
you later"
Mother wound up by saying 81 can't
do thing in the world with him" her
voice dispairing plant.
There was no such ugly trouble in
the family near by, tho it included
boy of Dicks age and proclivities.
For fault in the presence of the fam
lily, a quiet $50 to your room, Tom,"
from his mother was sufficient.
1t was true that one might have
thot Tomas had been shod by the
blacksmith judging by the noise he
made climbing the steps, but he obey
ed. One cannot expect i'll temper to be
wiped out magically, only that it be
treated sensibly and considerably, re-
gard for the child's future regulating
word and action.
Dickie's mother visiting Tommy's
mother on one of these occasions, ap-
preciated the even flow of cheerful
conversation that continued uninter
rupted by Tommy's detection. 1t was
so different from the general SQUAD
BILE in her own home that followed
misbehavier by Diokje.
When Tommy's mother reappeared,
and her son had dashed out of doors
to his play, the less successful moth
er put her plea:
"Please tell me how you settle
things so easily. / can't do anything
with Dickie. believe he takes pride
in his successful rebellions."
81 make it rule never to correct
Tommy in the presence of Others
her friend answered quietly. "Notice
that tree" she continued, pointing
thru the window to fine, straight
little tree. "A few months after il
was planted it began to lean. / set
the gardener to work. He drove q
strong stake, the top pointing as di-
rectly to the sky as if plummet had
been hung as guide from the cloud
above it, and to it he fastened the
young, growing thing. Not with film.
sy strings that would break in a day
- as inefficient as intermittent dis
cipline nor did he pull it violently
into place allowing others to join ir
the rough treatment. No, alone he
tied it with strong bands neither toe
harsh nor combining, leaving it room
to grow true to the guide, upright
My dear, mother may be the
strength that will keep the chile
growing straight, bound and protect
ed by bands that will not break =
truth, affection, respect. The child re
spects the mother who shows respect
for him. One of the ways of doing thi:
is by recognizing his one, invlolable
right - correction in private"