The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-01-21
LIFE WITH CHILDREN is
NICE BUT EMBARRASSING
BY CARLTON MORRIS
Editor, Gates County Index

Children are the greatest peo-
ple on earth and also the most en-
barrassing. They make you love
them to the point of distraction
and then turn right around and
make you pray for hole in which
YOU may hide until you have quit
blushing.
Take the case of my late father.
He often worked away from home
for several weeks at the time, for
in his younger days he was in
great demand as a house carpen-
ter. Once he was building home
for a farm family and he was very
fond of red ham gravy. He lived
with his employers and they had
plenty of good country food and
his hostess always urged him to
eat all he could. So one morning
he was bailing up his favorite
gravy and pouring it over his hot
clabber biscuits when the young
son of the family paused in his
own eating operations and began
to observe my dads operation.
After about the fourth spoonful,
he couldn't stand it any longer, as
he liked ham gravy too. During
momentary lull in the converse
ton he remarked:
Don't take it all, Mr.. David"
Ny own worst experience along
this line occurred three years ago
and was heard by many more
people.
NV wife and the only son we
had at that time were visiting my
parents at home and big revival
was under way at the church at
the same time. | went down for
week end and when / left | told
nv son, who was about nine at the
time. that l would bring him
special gift if he obeyed his moth
er and caused no trouble while l
was away.
Another thing I have learned
about children is that you must
never promise anything unless
you expect to deliver. There are
no excuses of any sort. You prom
ised so you must deliver.
The whole thing occurred during
the hot July weather and | re-
turned to Gainesville and tried my
best to do seven days work in
four days so l would be able to en-
10y another long week end at
home. ! finished sooner than l had
| expected so I left on a Thursday
night and on my way | suddenly
recalled my promise to my son.
All the stores were closed at that
time of night, so l almost changed
my mind about going home. l
slowed down and started to turn
around and come back to Gates
Vile and wait until the next day,
but I wanted to go fishing at day
break the next morning, which is
the only time to fish in hot
weather and l kept on going. But
l was worried about my failure to
think of suitable gift. Then | hit
on the idea of money.
AS l expected, he ran to me and
embraced me, then backed off and
demanded, "Where's my present ?"
/ stalled for time and told him
would have to talk over his con-
duct with his mother. He chased
out to the car and searched it
from stem to stern. Mother said
she hadn't noticed any improve
ment in his conduct. So l present.
ed him with dollar. Since he was
accustomed to getting only small
change to spend, he was very
excited about the dollar and
wouldn't spent it for anything
though I took him to a store the
next day.
The next night we all attended
church and just before services
started, my son came to me and
said he was very i'll. looked him
over very carefully and decided he
was exhausted from a day of fol-
lowing me on the river, so / told
him he could go to the car which
was parked near one of the church
doors, and sleep. He went on out
and l forgot about him.
During the services, my young
cousin, Deering Manning, was or
dained minister. He had attend
ed Atlanta Christian College in
Georgia and I loved him like a
brother and had followed his pro-
gress with keenest interest. My
son loved him too.
After he was ordained it was
announced that a collection would
be taken for him as he was just
starting as a minister and was
sure to need some money.
The collection was taken and in
the momentary lull before further
proceedings the packed church be-
came absolutely still. It was one
of those momentary quiet mo-
ments that comes to any large
gathering.