Show I TALES OF CHILDHOOD II By DR LOYAL CRANE MOTHERS MOTHER'S BOYNo BOYNo BOY No Xo John I will not let you ou go swimming without your father yet ret I dont don't care what the bo boys s 's say Remember Re lie- member youre you're only nl 9 years old and you OU cant can't swim very well yet and if anything should happen to to- you a all the arguing in the world wouldn't bring YOu jou back again No Xo sir you ou cannot go swimming with the boys and yet et and that's final The less you say about the matter now the bet- bet tel tei Nor Kor did John say a word he knew there was no use ue Poor kid he was an only child and the apple of his mothers mother's eye His idea of freedom was about as we well founded In experience experience experience as if it he had been a caged monkey in the zoo His every movement movement move move- ment meat was as watched and guarded S It is 5 a wa way some mothers have They seem to have forgotten that life lite Js is a a great adventure for tor which the young joung child must prepare Be that as It may Johns John's mother had the folly of her ways brought home to herin herein dramatic fashion one day this spring John and his father had gone rowing on the lake In the park near their home borne and had taken with them two other little boy friends of about Johns John's age Sho Shortly after ater the they had left the shore their craft started started started start start- ed to take in water at an alarming rate and before they were able abc to turn around the they found themselves floating helplessly sy in the water hanging on to the edge o of or their useless useless useless use use- less boat Now Xo in spite of the confidence placed in him by mother Johns John's father was no more able to swim than the boy himself Before long John had become thoroughly frightened frightened frightened fright fright- ened started to kick and slipped off into the lake while his father shouted at the top of ot his voice fo for help Meanwhile the two little boys w who ho were Johns John's guests had swam ashore and gone of off in Ia opposite di directions directions directions di- di scouting for tor help heIj When finally John and his father were wele brought safely ashore the boy was suffering so seriously from submersion submersion sub sub- that it was thought best to call an ambulance and remove him to the hospital where he was worked on faithfully for two hours with an electric before he was pronounced definitely out of or danger Meanwhile of ot course Johns John's mother had been duly notified by telephone of ot what had transpired and had rushed in mad haste to the hospital half halt Insane with fear One would think that this woman woman woman wo wo- wo- wo man would have learned her lesson and cease cease- guarding her child from every possible danger But Bul she hasn't really Oh yes es John can swim now But he learned how under un un- un- un del dec the cartful tutelage of a paid Instructor in the safe confines of a sterilized swimming pool I suppose it is literally impossible to accomplish anything with a nervous nervous nervous ner ner- mother by preaching to her Nevertheless I cherish the hope that this tale somewhere som somehow how may have caused some mother to see the folly of that excessive watchfulness which robs her child of his God given given given en right to learn how to care for himself himself- For if it accomplishes this for tor but one mother and son SOD it shall not have been written in m vain ain Dr Crane will be glad to advise our readers on problems of home training mental development school progress vocational guidance guid guld- ance etc Address your our letters to Dr Crane rane Fourth avenue New Kew NewYork NewYork York N. N Y enclosing stamped addressed addressed addressed ad- ad dressed envelope for reply Copyright t 1925 by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate |