Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 147, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1917 — HAS MESSAGE FOR ALL BOYS [ARTICLE]

HAS MESSAGE FOR ALL BOYS

Young Man Draws Lesson From Strange Experience Which. Fell • to His Lot “I wish I could send a message to every boy in the world of a sad and strange coincidence that happened to me when 1 was a boy,” exclaimed a young man the other day. “One hot, sultry July afternoon —the hottest day we had that summer—l had just turned our street corner when I met my father. • ‘“I wish you would deliver this package for me, Joe,’ he said rather weakly, as I remembered afterward. Now I was only thirteen years old and had been out flaying in the hot sun all morning and was all in when I met my father after playing a ten-inning game with our side the losers. My first impulse was to refuse, but one glance at his kind, gentle face stopped me. ‘Surely I will go, father,’ I said pleasantly. “ ‘Thank you, son,’ was the answer. T was going myself, but I don’t feel very well today and I thought you would not refuse, as you have always been a good boy to me, Joe.’ “I walked away thinking father did not care much about his only son, or he would not send me on this jaunt fabout one mile and a half), on such a hot But somehow the words, *1 thought you would not refuse,’ and 'You have always been a good boy to me, Joe,’ seemed to ring in my ears end before I reached the end of my journey I was whistling a merry tune. “Returning home, I saw our doctor’s auto and a crowd of people at our door. One of my aunts hurried to meet me with tears rolling down her cheeks. 'Your father fell dead just as he reached the stoop,’ she said. “I. found out later the last words my father spoke were. ‘You have always been a good boy to me, Joe.’ ”