Evening star., 1939-08-20

~HE mother was furious when the boy
came home with black eye. A much
- older schoolyard bully had packed a
stone in SNOWFALL and hurled it in his di-
rection. Indignantly she demanded that her
husband take matters into his own hands.
The father looked at his eleven year-old
son compassionately. Then he shook his head.
mo, it's boys quarrel. George must learn
to fight his own battles"
A few days later, the story goes, young
George Washington went back to school and
pummeled his tormentor out of any desire to
play the bully again. Whether or not you
approve of children settling their disputes
with their fists, you must admit he was learn
ing to stand on his own feet.
Georges father naturally had no idea he
was raising his boy to be President. He only
wanted him to grow up to be a good citizen -
exactly what you want for your son. Our
nations glory and our nations strength lie
in the fact that thousands of American parents
have shared that same ambition
But if you are the average father or mother
you want something more for your son. And
although you may even hope that the heavy
cares of Presidency will never fall on his shoul-
ders, still the great Office symbolizes all the
success that America can offer your son. And
you have hopes for that success even when
Junior emerges from the pantry with jam
spread from ear to ear, like any average boy.
As you scrub him. to the accompaniment of
his indignant howls, just remember that most
of our chief executives were average children.
Yes, your youngster may be something of a
trial at times; but whatever your problems,
the chances are that the fathers and mothers
of our Presidents had them too.
Perhaps Junior doesn't like to study.
Neither did John Adams - the same, staid
John Adams who was our second President
But when his father offered him choice of
mastering his Latin grammar or digging
ditch out in the meadow, John decided,
after two days of sweating under the hot
New England sun, that study had its points.
Or perhaps your boy runs away from school.
General Pierce returned home from church
one Sunday to find his son Franklin who was
supposed to be at boarding school. The strict
old Revolutionary soldier merely invited the
boy in to dinner, then told the hired man to :.
hitch up the family chaise. ''Get in, Frank,
he said pleasantly, land I'll drive you back
That was ALL No scolding. No punishment.
But the General took obedience as matter of
course, and Franklin knew it would be useless
to argue.
If your adolescent son is afflicted with the
wanderlust, you can sympathize with Mrs.
Garfield James developed an early case of
sea fever and, though she tried to divert his
attention to other things, he read every
nautical novel in the neighborhood. One day
he threw down his hoe and announced he
couldn't stand farm life any longer.
The Widow Garfield" knew she was beaten.
Sooner or later the boy must get the desire
for adventure out of his system, so she gave
reluctant consent for him to try one trip on
Lake Erie. With sinking heart she watched
him start for Cleveland on foot, his clothes
tied up in a handkerchief in the good old
traditional manner. After that, silence! But
when six weeks had passed he came home,
burning with fever.
During Jamess long convalescence his
mother never once reproved him. The lines
had deepened in her face during those endless
days when he had forgotten to write, but she
did not speak of her anxiety. He told her he
had been working on canal boat. The life