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Show . THE SON OF A HAPPY FATHER "There goes a happy father," I said to n friend tho other day, as u white haired man slowly passed us on the street. "How do you know he Is happy?" queried my frloqd who Is from Missouri. Mis-souri. "You don't seem acquainted with him tor you didn't speak." "No, I don't oven know his name. But I know be Is happy." ''How do you know it?" persisted my friend. "Have ,you Becond sight." "I knpw ho Is happy because ot his son," I replied. "The two aro a study In happiness. The family havo rent ed a cottage opposite me for the summer. sum-mer. There Is tho father, 'mother, son and son's wife, and they are an Interestlne'llUte group. But It Is tho happy old fathor who Interests mo the most, perhaps becauso what 1 see Is so rare, though I hate to admit it. Tho father is a llttlo old man rather feeble ns to legs. Ho Is some what trembly and tottery In his walk as no doubt, )ou notice Hut other-wlso other-wlso ho Is as bright and chirpy as a robin. Tho boh is not young, possibly possi-bly on toward fifty and Just tho usual business man. I should Bay. off tor a few weeks acatlou. He's rather pa!o and serious looking, maybo busl. ness Isn't or hasn't been good. Hut tho attention and caro ho gives his fathor is beautiful to seo. Lots of sons off on a vacation would think only of their own pleasure. Thoy would think It their due. But this son seems to think far rooro ot his fathor than ot himself. They go out walking every day, tho son going slowly in step with tlio old man, not striding two or throe paces ahead as Is so often the caso when young and old go out togothor. And he Is nlways talking to him so brlshtly and lnterostediy. It does not seora to bo n duty walk at all. Then "ho holps him on with his coat and fixes his collar and gets his hat and gloves, and does It all as If ho thoroughly enjoyed en-joyed doing U. And bo carefully "helps him onrand off cars. Ho scorns to bo thinking ot hk comfort evoy nlnute'.ho Is with him, and not as u 'matter of duty but because ho'crfrtia' tt,,tramondous,lvt for jitaj Thcnwhcn his father sits "on the porch, tho son - -. will brlni; him magazines or books or impertf, or drotf down beside him and talk. Thcro seems to bo a wondor-ful wondor-ful affection between thorn. And so I know that fathor Is wry happy. A father (can't help being happy when ho has a son like that." "Hut most sons caro for their father," fa-ther," said iny friend. "Of courso they do. But they do not show It In nil these llttlo thoughtful, thought-ful, everyday ways. That counts a lot, especially with old people. They want tho llttlo attentions that very plainly tell of love. A father has often sacrificed a good deal for his children. Maybo he has grubbed away through all tho best years ot his life and gone without lots ot pleasures he would like to have had, to educate a son properly and glvo him a start m tho world. Then tho son marries and go's submerged In Interests ot his own and all ho sees, ot his. father Is a Christmas or a Thanksgiving .,or times like that, when thoy 4talk about tho nqws or crops or things of that sort almost ns superficially as It they were only acquaintances. I imagine that many n tatbcr'B heart Is hungry, especially when he gets old, for somethlngttiore than that from his son. Anyway the, beaming face of this old gentleman makes mo think that something moro than that has made one father very happy." , "Wo need not be mushy or sentimental, senti-mental, but lots of us could In little things show our lovo for -our parents par-ents moro than we do," admitted my friend. "And don't you think we make those about us happier by showing our lovo for them in the little opportunities oppor-tunities that offer plentifully every dny, thun by waiting for the occasional occasion-al big emergency, to display unusual devotion?" What do my reader friends think? Barbara Boyd. |