The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-10-17
FAVOUR CHILDREN
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BY OLIVE ROBERTS BARTON
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BY OLIVE ROBERTS BARTON
 A young fellow (sixteen, he was) came to his mother and, with the expression of a bank president signing a millions dollar loan, said: Mother, I like Mary better than anyone I ever knew I want to be where she is every minute. Do you suppose r m in love with her?"
 His mother answered quite as seriously, "Why, it just might be, John, if you feel that way. How old is Mary?"
 T think she is about eighteen. She's awfully nice to me. I look about eighteen, don't IF"
 The lady surveyed her boy al- most scraping the top door jamb He was big enough to be forty, but that round face was exactly sixteen and no more. Neverthe- less, he had come to her and barred his heart, something that a chap that age seldom does, for sixteen is the age of agony: at no other time in life is one so given to hurt and shame over imaginary troubles.
 Dangerous Moment
 To have smiled or taken 8 light tone she knew would have blasted this sacred seeding of confidence Her baby came for advice and help as he would have 8 few years before, oh, so few, for a smashed finger.
 Fortunately, she knew some- thing about this Mary, a steady, serious girl to be depended on. Quickly she made her plan. "You are big boy" she said to her son, "but if I were you, would not pose as being older. Mary knows you are a sophomore. You don't want her to think you are too dumb to be a senior"
 Would it be all right if I went to see her? Would she think I was silly?"
 "No, indeed. Go over some aft- ernoon after school and stay a few minutes. But wouldn't tell her how you feel about her. She will know you like her very much without you saying anything at all. Just be nice and polite, and don't be in hurry"
 When he was gone his mother picked up the telephone, then put it down. There was something too sacred about the boys confi- dence to spill over the telephone to Mary's mother, as she had first planned in order to get her CO., operation. She did not know whether to laugh or cry about it.. First love, calf love, is so precious thing to the young.
 Relationship Worth Keeping
 She knew Bob would be falling in and out of love, as he called it., for the next ten years. She want ed him to tell her things - as much as he cared to tell - in that time. Maybe he would handle this wrong, but after all, it was his own affair. She suspected that Mary was on par with his foot Udll JcdIIl, JildU hCGudily IA AAC AAessa to choose, Mary would be waiting on the doorstep.
 He had come to her as he would to his own conscience. His mother was his other self. He had not asked her not to tell his father. She decided she wouldn't. Just herself and Bob in on their little secret.
 Bob is married now, and not to Mary. He is successful young business man in Chicago. His mother read me a scrap of 8 let ter from him the other day.
 Mother, you have helped me more by your wisdom and silence than anything else. It's grand to know there is one sphinx in the world"
 Which is just one more thing we mothers have to learn: to keep sacred the condolences of our children whenever it is pos sible.
 Copyright, 1895, NEA Service, Inc. Okav At the club Tonight Tell