The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-10
SOME STUDIES IN CHILDHOOD.
The Imaginary Playmate

This curious phenomenon Is not very rare.
Stevenson ard Josephine Dodge Daskham have
each written a poem on it, one encounters 1t fire.
quently in fiction. and occasionally one meets a
person who has known a case or two. The two
cases that have come under the writer's observa-
ton had some points IN common Both were boys
both were much younger than their brothers
and sisters, and so that they lacked playmatea
near their own age, both highly imaginative,
and both began playing with the child one
else could see at the age OF two-and-a-half. and
seemed gradually TO lose the consciousness OF his
presence they reached the age of four.
Eddie was in the habit Of going over on the
next street to and to shoot Squirrels and
tagers" (tigers). which he seemed to regard as
wild beasts OF equal size and ferocity. Soon
he began to be accompanied these expedi-
lions by my little boy" My little boy
also played with him through the day. and was
constantly addressed by him in conversation.
Eddie seemed 10 think he received replies to
his remarks At least. he never answered for
the little child. a child does who Is conscious
ly pretending playmate. Questions about
his little boy seemed to annoy him. and did
not elicit much information, except that his
name Nelson, and that he lived In North
Dakota Tho child had relatives in North Da-
kota, so that fancy not surprising. but he
knew no one OF the name OF Nelson He had,
however, uncle of that name who had died
young, many years before that II was be-
Neved the child had never heard him mentioned.
The OF little Ohio Whipple more
striking. His invisible playmates name was Jim
whipple. At first Ohio seemed to be half afraid
of him. He would cling to his mothers skirts
and peep round her into the next room. because
he afraid Jim whipple there. As Ohio
grew older Jim Whipples adventures grew
various and picturesque. He often served as q
scapegoat. If the hammer lost. Jim Whip
pie had been playing with It, Ohio came in
crying one day--Jim whippe had chased the
ducks into the wood-pile and they couldn't get
out. Soon he began planning great things fol-
Jim. The fireworks and candy and new clothes
he proposed to get for Jtm's Fourth of July
were impressive especially as nothing OF the
kind had been proposed for Ohio. But Jim was
not appreciative. The small three-year-old was
| in a state Of depression day. and conided
| to a questioner that he did not know what he
should do with Jim Whipple, ne just wouldn',
work. no matter what Job he got for him. jim
gave 1t up in few days. And you know" he
added. sagely. your father can't support you
always" This sounds like an echo but in fact
| his elders had not said, nor had occasion &c
| say. anything Of the kind. Occasionally Jim's
conduct improved. and Ohio presented him with
| farms and horses and cows but again jim
| yielded to temptation and Ohio was panied BY
| his worthlessness While Eddie regarded my
little boy with tender affection. Jim Whipplc
appeared to be a serious and displeasing respon.
sibility to Ohio. But that he was real to the
| child. there seemed little doubt. The very fac
that both boys lost their sense OF the invisible
| playmate when they became four years old
| shows that he was not conscious invention
| for purposes OF amusement.