The edict was no problem for the boy, Harry Truman, who was delighted when he realized that the Bible he had been reading for over a year had more words than he had previously seen, and he began re-reading the Book from the first page. Substituting books for activities, he read all 3,000 books in the Independence (Missouri) Library, encyclopedias included, before he was fifteen. He and his father read "Plutarch's Lives" together numerous times.
However, his father was hardly a book-worm. John A. Truman was known for his toughness and his temper. "He'll knock your hat off as a prank, and knock your head off if you cross him." In spite of this reputation, he never struck his children, but instead, he allowed, even encouraged, his children to experience the natural consequences of their actions, and Harry S. Truman often spoke of those experiences. Often John Truman would get on his horse and lead Harry on his Shetland pony on an errand. As they returned one day, Harry fell off about a half mile from home. John continued riding on in the plodding walk, the pony in tow.
"Daddy, I fell off. Wait for me!"
"A boy who is not able to stay on a pony at a walk ought to walk himself," John tossed back as he rode further away from the boy. Harry walked, crying all the way, finally reaching the open arms of his sympathetic mother, who glared at John as she comforted Harry. Harry never fell from a walking horse again.
Despite her sympathy, Mattie Truman was not a push-over. Rather, she always kept a slipper or a switch close at hand and consistently used them when her children transgressed. Truman later reported, "The punishment hurt and I tried to never commit that sin again." In contrast to her punishing, Mattie also instilled in Harry a love of music, literature, and art.
Both of Truman's parents had strong beliefs in right and wrong. Mattie's high standards of behavior and morals were not negotiable, and she made her children toe the line drawn by her standards. John's beliefs were especially strong concerning politics: the Democrats were right, the Republicans were wrong. Period. He defended the honor of his party in any way necessary, sometimes giving his fists a work-out. Harry often went with his father to local political meetings, and on his first day at school he sported a cap that read "Grover Cleveland for President; Adlai Stevenson for Vice-President."
