Milford chronicle., 1938-07-22
A HILL AND 4 HOLE
Cora M. SIlvlns

1 cora VI. SllVlu6
A short time ago / was called to
take care of woman who had brok-
en- her ankle. Fifty-four people were
living In twenty summer cottages
along a water front. Back OF these
cottages was a strip of undevelOped
land, a quarter of a mile wide. The
trolley ran along the road at the
further edge, and a rather zigzag
path across 1t was the nearest ap-
proach from the car stop to the cot
tages.
had taken this trolley. and as /
followed the path / went around
what was evidently a made hill. Just
beyond this, i'm the direct line Of
progress, was a hole, twelve or four
teen feet across, which the we'll
beaten path carefully avoided.
could see no need for its being
there.
Arriving at the house, was told
that Mrs. Decker had met with her
accident at this very hole while
crossing the field In the dark. Ma
turally l asked why the hole was
there. And no one knew.
Its a menace!" cried Mrs. Deck
er. "The land belongs to a rich
man who lives in Europe. Something
ought to be DONE"
/ agreed, and talked.
Say, now you might be able to
do something" Mrs. Decker said.
1.-THE men play golf and other games
for exercise. The boys run wild. If
you could get them interested in
filling in that hole, it would be a
good thing for both the boys and
their fathers"
So l promised to try, and rack
ed my brains for wise approach
to the subject.
The two Decker boys, nine and
eleven, took a walk with me. Com !
ing to the excavation or depression
/ talked of it and what fun it was to
dig. At the dinner table l spoke to
the father.
why don't you men and your sons
make up a party and fill in the
hole?"
They had never once thought of
doing such a thing. But it caught
their fancy.
Ibid it ever occur to you that ev-
cry time any one of you goes to or
from the trolley you have to take
fifty extra steps because of that hole
and the little hill that is near it?"
It hadn't.
On Fridays it was customary for
some of the men who could not be
there every evening to come for the
weekend. The little children were
always delighted. but the fathers
and older sons seemed to. have little
in common. When Frida yevening ar
rived, Mr.. Decker talked with the
men, suggesting the project. talk
I'd with one of the boys and he prom
sed to interest the others. Then !
suggested to Mr.. Decker that he get
he fathers to tell the boys that the
men needed their help.
On Saturday morning a group OF
eighteen men and boys gathered at
he hole with shOyels.
.FM why HUI luAOm IA ooAAAC VI SA~
ubbish to start with?" asked the
,oys.
What time they had then. Just ,
IS the last bit of earth was being
moothed over / went out. They were ,
.dmiring their work. 6
II actually enjoyed this little bit
f shovelling." said one of the men /
o me. !
"And each of your sons has enjoy :
d doing things with Father" :
ssured him.
This. too, was a new thought, it g
eemed. Q
The best is yet to come. Mrs. >
Decker came to see me the other 4
ay. She told me happier relation :
hips had come from the father-sOn i
ontacts that were made that day. n
he men really hadn't realized their \
oys were growing up; the boys :,
admit realized how boy-like their )
lthers could be. Il
The hole was there all the time. n
o was the hill. If fathers who read N
lis would look about they might !
nd hills and holes that need COM a
Ining-also sons that need con- = =
citing.