Show to his son the following meditation which touches the heartstrings heart strings pictures a dad as he stands at the bedside of his son amany publications have copied this article and we do not know the authors name but it is universal in its appeal to mothers and daddies and sons everywhere listen son I 1 an saying this to you as ou lie asleep one little paw crumpled under your cheek and the blond curls wet on your damp forehead I 1 have stolen into your room alone just a few minutes ago as I 1 sat reading my paper to the firary a hot stifling wave of remorse swept over me I 1 could not resist it guiltily I 1 came to your bedside these are the things I 1 was thinking son I 1 had been cross to you I 1 scolded you as you were dressing for school because you gave your face merely a dab with the towel I 1 took you to task for not cleaning your shoes I 1 called out angrily when I 1 found you had thrown some of your things on the floor at breakfast I 1 found fault too you spilled things you gulped down your food you put your elbows on the table you spread butter too thick on your bread and as you started oft to play and I 1 made for my train you turned and waved a little hand and called goodbye good bye daddy and I 1 frowned and said in reply hold your shoulders back then it began all over again in the late afternoon As I 1 came up the hill road I 1 spied you down on your knees playing marbles there were holes in your stockings I 1 humiliated you before your boy friends by making you march ahead of me back to the house stockings were expensive and if you had to buy them sou would be more careful imagine that son from a father 1 it was such stupid silly logic do you remember later when I 1 was reading in the library how you came in softly timidly with a sort of a hurt haunted look in your eyes when I 1 glanced up over my paper impatient at the interruption you hesi bated at the door what Is it you want I 1 snapped you said nothing but ran across in one tempestuous plunge and threw your arms around my neck and kissed me again and again and your smal arm arms s tightened with an affection that god had set blooming in your heair and which even neglect could not wither and then ou were gone pattering up the stairs well son it was shortly afterwards that my paper slipped from my hands and a terrible sickening fear came over me suddenly I 1 saw myself as I 1 really was in all my horrible selfishness ish ness and I 1 felt at heart what has habit been doing to me the habit of complaining of finding fault or reprimanding all of these were my rewards to you for being a boy it wa not that I 1 did not love ou it was that I 1 expected so much of auth it was measuring you by the yardstick of my own years and there was so much that was good and fine and true in your character you did not deserve my treatment of you so the little heart of you was as big as the dawn itself over the wide hills all this was shown by your spontaneous impulse to rush in and kiss me good night nothing else matters tonight son I 1 have come to your bedside in the darkness and I 1 have knelt there choking with emotion and so asham edl it Is a feeble atonement I 1 know you would not understand these things if I 1 told them to you during your waking hours yet I 1 must say what I 1 am saying I 1 must bum sacrificial fires alone here in your bedroom and make a free confession and I 1 have prayed to god to strengthen m in my new resolve tomorrow I 1 will be a real daddy 1 I 1 will chum with vou and suffer when you suffer and laugh when you laugh I 1 will bite my tongue when impatient words come I 1 will keep saying as if it were a ritual he is nothing but a boy a little bov 1 I am afraid I 1 have visualized you as a man yet as I 1 see you now son and weary in bour cot I 1 see that you are still a baby yesterday vou were in your mothers arms your head on her shoulder I 1 have asked too much too much dear bov dear little A penitent kneels at your infant shrine here in the moonlight I 1 kiss the little fingers and the damp forehead |