Life — June 9, 1904 — page 13: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

How Claude Won Out. LAUDE the son of well-to-do, but intensely honest parents, and when he got to be old enough to read and write and do alittle think- ing of his own, his father said : “My son, your mother and elf fairly ache with the responsib ity of your bringing up, and thi fair notice tha re not going to let pass a single opportunity to make you just as good as you can be. Family even-thirty, grace before Bible reading at bedtime, S| hool and church on the Sabbath, and no whistling in between,”" And so at the early age of four Claude got down to work, At ten he knew the Pentateuch and the New Testament by heart, and could sit through a ‘“‘tenthly " sermon with- out losing consciousnes: Then his dear old father took him aside once more and said: “My boy, you are doing well. Re- member that honesty is the best policy, and a liar is on the Broad Road to De- struction. No smoking cigarettes be- hind the barn. No swimming in the creek without professional 1. No matinces. And never say thing that you would be afraid to have printed in the church paper.” And Claude treasured up what the -LIFE- old man said, and kept in the straight and narrow path, At fifteen he was a leading member of the Y. M.C. A. At twenty-one his father gave him a gold watch because he didn’t know the taste of rum, or three of a kind from two pair. Then the old man took him aside once more and said: “My son, you have done well, Tam proud of you, It is now time to leave your parental nest and go out into the great world of temptation and make your own way. But fear not. Keep right on in the life you have been taught and all will be well.” And so Claude went out. And after he had been gone some time, one of Claude's father’s friends came around and said : “How about Claude? Up to date I haven't seen his name in the police column.” “Claude's all right,” said the cld man, And still another friend appeared and said: ‘*How about Claude? Has he run off with some one else’s wife? Has he turned out a gambler or a drunkard? Isn't it about time the returns were coming in?” The old man sighed. He was begin- ning to get a little anxious himself. Sen YEn* THE DEPARTURE FOR THE FRONT. “OLGA, HAVE YOU SEEN MY COLLAR BUTTON 2” One day, however, there was the snort of an automobile in front, and Claude, accompanied by his private secretary, got out, and entering the house, laid a million at his father's feet. “My dear old dad," he said, feel- ingly, ‘accept this slight of my esteem and admiration as a re- turn for the carly training you gave me.” estimonial His father trembled with joy. “They told me I'd done wrong by you,"’ he said. ** That be- cause I didn’t have any wine on the table, when you'd break loose you'd make up for lost time.”” + Nonsense,” Claude. “They predicted that you'd be in Canada or jail,” said the old man. “* Not for me," replied Claude. “But,” persisted the old man, ‘how did you make such a grand suc- cess?” replied “Easy enough,” re. plied Claude. ‘*I started a widow's and orphan's ass, and got them to have so much confi- dence in me that they eventually put all their savings into my hands."* T. M. comicbooks.com