Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-14
POOR RICH FOLKS.
The Troubles of Being a Millionaire
Child.

SAl4us
Written for The Star
To most children the coming ten dav.
means release from the routine life Of The
winter months and chance to entov ALI
the froiics and good things which careful
mothers have denied so long for the saka
OF preserving health and strength while
school was In progress. To the average
youngster the short Easter respfte COMES
IKE bursting Of bonds and forgetting
all thought Of what is to follow. he giyes
himself over with careless abandon 10 a
whole week OF roIlickins fun.
One class Of children only know notb,no
or the freedom Of Easter holiday week
They are the children Of the rniIIionaire
Hemmed In from year to year end by
pruning guardians. governesses. maids and
servants of every description who abso-
lutely defy any attempt at independence,
or at the other extreme. surfeited with all
the luxuries and every wish gratifed al
most before it is expressed. the heir to
vast wealth never knows a single day
when his or her spirits can bubble over
regardless of rules and tiresOme duties
If the ordinary child has to wish for
toys and pony carriages which are out Of
reach. he is at least saved the deadly mo-
notony and boredom Of the child who can
never be just himself
Take. for instance, the only daughter OF
an oil magnate. Loving fun Just Ike any
other child, the little girl nevertheless has
a moment when she can do exactly as she
pleases. To mingls with other children OF
her own age is her chief delight. Yet no
sooner does she gain permission from par
ents and physician to go to private school
with other OF her friends than the family
doctor suggests she is looking a bit pale.
Perhaps she needs a change at some water
ing place. So away she Is rushed, and on
her return week or so hence the other
girls In her class are quite ahead Of her in
their studies and she is obliged 10 return to
a home governess.
Then she begs to make afternoon visits TO
her little friends. What is the result? End
less notes pass to and from friends and
dates are arranged when she IS TO meet one
or more OF the girls In holiday week at
their homes. In nine cases out or ten on
the day set a telephone or messenger an
nounces that Miss Millionaire Is suddenly
or her mother wishes her TO at
tend some function that afternoon, and the
anticipated good time is postponed lndeh-
nitely. Or, in the tenth case. should the
little lady really succeed In keeping her
date she no sooner begins TO enter into the
games with her girl playmates than her
carriage and maid are announced at the
door. The rebelling miss is hurried off to
the hair doctors or the music teachers,
and further fun that day is out Of the ques-
ton.
Nor is this In any way an exaggeraton.
Nose and throat doctors, eve doctors, scalp
doctors, dancing teachers, French teachers,
gymnastic and horeback instructors follow
each other in hourly succession. Never a
day passes that three or more OF them DO
not take some part IN the continuous round
of unyarying duties, any one of which
would seem a luxury to the average child.
The other extreme is equally monotonous.
The child who is showered with toys and
goodies from grandparents. aunts, uncles
and cousins is even denied the satisfaction
OF being able to want anything. From the
hour OF birth he is supplied with every
creature comfort that exists Safety has
been this little fellows lot from the very
beginning and never having known GRAY
ing or longing. he cannot possibly realize
what vacation full OF denial OF good
things means
His young life Is like a becalmed sea,
and, while he may know Ats of temper and
every possible ailment common TO child life,
he never knows that bursting joy which
comes to the middle class child when the
barriers of school are broken down and
babbling youth has seven whole days OF un-
hampered freedom, with sleep alone 20 quiet
the jolly round of games and gurgles- In
plain words. the millionaire child Is always
bored.