New Britain herald., 1926-09-22

I'ASN ANeii tllV tllu Ol ltltt buI lOOhP0
 forward to 1t as reVnion with all
 he had loved and lost.
 Lost Mother At to
 When I was 12 years old my own
 mother was taken away. She was a sweet and gentle influence. I always
 recall her having my sister and me
 brought to her bedside to receive her blessing in her very last hours. She
 had been an invalid for as long as l could remember. I can see now
 that she was a woman of taste and
 discretion and had a fine sense of
 was seven years before my father
 married again. Meantime, I stayed
 a great deal with my grandmother 1 Coolidge, who was Q strong, resolute
 woman of deep religious convictions and a true daughter Of the Puri-
 tans. My stepmother was all that a mother could be who was not your man, fond of books and of a schol-
 arly disposition. I thus had the great good fortune to come under the in fluence of three good women. a most important element in guiding the career of any man."
 Did you have the usual boys am- bition to be a policeman or a rail- road engineer?" I asked.
 Store, His Ambition
 Living in the country, I did not 1 have much knowledge of railroad | engineers or policemen" he answer ed. AS I now recall it, I had all ways rather hoped that I might keep store when I grew up.'
 Did it ever occur to you that you might be president when you grew up?"
 That never occurred to me. If the question had been proposed to mo, I should have been quite cer- tain that l would never be qualified to serve my fellow countrymen in that position. I do not recall that any one in whose judgment I would place much reliance ever told me in my younger days that I should be president. If my mother had any such notion she kept it to herself, and the remarks Of my father rather indicated that he thought if I did not change my ways I would come on the town. He kept up admoni tions of that character until I had entered public life. I think his fore cast impressed me as being very i'm portant."
 l asked whether he thinks there is as much opportunity for boys now as when he was a boy.
 Great Opportunity Today
 'I think there is a better chance for boys to succeed now than there ever was before," he replied. Some desire one avenue of success and some another. If & young man wants education and that mental discipline which comes from con- tact with books and learned men, l am sure the opportunity was never so good as it is now. If he wishes to earn money and go into business with the idea of accommodating a competence, there are more avenues open for that purpose than at any previous time. If he is desirous of securing what l should think is a true success, by performing a real service for his fellow men, from which the reaction will undoubtedly bring him place in the estimation of his neighbors and competence which will represent payment for his effort, I should say again that there are many opportunities than at any other time in history"
 What about the girls?' l asked. i, "They can vote and hold office now, and some of them are beginning to 1 look on politics as possible career"
 Favors Marriage For Girls
 If girl wishes to fit herself for a political career, l think the best thing she can do is to get married and bring up a family. l can con- ceive of no experience better adapt ed to give either woman or man that knowledge which is most likely to be of value in the discharge Of public office than that which comes from the family life. am aware that there have been many excellent executives, both men and women, who have lived a single life. But I think that they may have worked under great handicap, which perhaps entities them to a greater credit. A successful politi- ,al career consists of being able to provide the people with what they leed in their relationship with each )ther I think that the family life s the cornerstone of our social life, md so of our political life. We do lot in this country have opportuni- ies which can be referred to as af- ording a strictly political career. There are many avenues of public fife, each of which requires for it's est execution a special preparation. 'he national government has ten under cabinet officers, ach one requiring 8 special knowl dge for it's administration. Even UT municipal governments have also many departments. The only pre- ,aration that is worth anything is a curse of study which will make one [ n expert in the department in ! lhich it is proposed to serve.
 Politics Undesirable z
 "I doubt if it is possible for a l oung man to choose politics as a ( aroer. He may go into the diplo- ' latic service as 1t is now constituted s I this country or into the civil ! ervice somewhere as the result of C assing an examination, but for the oung man to expect to gain a liveli- ood by holding political office -ould seem to me to be very un-