The National tribune., 1907-02-28
TIE FAMILY.
BY sENoRA SARA.
"shall we cut out some papas?"

"Shall we cut out some papaS?"
What for? They're only bother
and there's nothing for them to do"
Out of the mouths of babes cam,
this uDintended social parable
Doubtless the babes We're more aston
ished than pleased to see me scatter
the paper dolls far and wide In my sud
den dash for the bookcase in a vail
endeavor to discover whether it were
Moliere or some other clever French
man who in a few lines of satire had
immortaized The Forgotten Man" The
man who goes his way, eats his dinner
does his work pnreckoned upon, un-
heard from, almost unheard of-whC
yet forms the substratum on which the
whole social structure is built-here is
a picture ready to hand of that SUBJ
merged individual the 10Th century
American father, that he lags super.
fiuous on the domestic stage bare half
dozen years of earthly experience had
taught these mutes; that with every
added hsff-dozen their opinion is likely
to be confirmed is one of those melan-
choly facts which it sometimes pays to
consider, with a view to seeing where
the trouble lies
At the very beginning-of course.
that's where trouble always COM
mences-we epitomize the situation by
announcing that Mrs Jones has lit
tie son or daughter and forgetting to
add SO has MIR Jones'" Somehow, we
continue to forget; so does Mrs. Jones,
and her silent partner and naturally,
the children. Little wonder, then, that
the progressive woman also should for
get, and sketch enthusiastic pictures Of
an Adamless Eden in the future where
at her critics make merry, as in Grant
Aliens caUstic comment that from the
way she talks one might uppose she
expected that children could be grown
on gooseberry bushes. 1t would hardly
be strange if she did, seeing how en-
tirely the critics themselves, and every
one else, leave the rights and RESPONSE
bilities of fathers out of the reckoning
when the rearing of children is under
discussion.
Just what place was assigned to faith
ers in the original plan of creation
I would not venture TO say, but can
scarcely believe 1t the distinctly in
ferior one which we have given them.
1t may be that the arch-cynic Rousseau
was right and "man is a radical mis-
take" and the maternal element IN
family life could nave been made all
sufficing without him; but, as DR.. Wal
ton was wont to say of the possibility
of making a better berry than the
strawberry, Doubtless God could have
done SO, but doubtless God never did"
How slow we are to realize this is Curl
ously illustrated in one difficulty which
besets the thorny path Of the Sunday
school teacher. What woman of us has
not sometimes stopt short on the very
threshold of the Lords Prayer with A
baff1ed, despairing feeling at her heart
that she could give children no concept
of God less calculated to attract and
stir their interest than that of Father
in Heaven.
That their fathers on earth are fail
ures in cases enough TO justify the in
FAINT cynicism that they're only both
or, and there's nothing for them to do,
who can deny, save the optinist, who
would rather turn his back on the 81
and nine living proofs of rule and
penetrate the mountain Businesses for
the one exception, which, when found,
he bringeth it back rejoicing" to con-
front us? What is the typical father
but cipher. nonentity, in his own
hcme? He provides the wherewithal
for his children's food, clothes and
schooling, and either honestly believes
his paternal duties ended there or re-
fuses to recognize any such duties.
A hasty good-by kiss in the morning,
q less hasty one at night, then oblivion
behind a newspaper, and that is all he
sees of his children. Baby wants a
romp, six-year-old trots up to show her
furnace over his algebra, casts appeal
ing glances in his direction, but the
answer is the same to all: Poor papa
is tired, and must not be disturbed
On Sunday, perhaps, he takes them for
a walk and tries to get acquainted with
them, but paternal affection I'm weekly
spurts does not satisfy the hungering
heart of childhood, and the result is
Increased Indifference and awkward
ness on both sides.
That the children to whom papa" is
merely a parsonage TO be dreaded or
good-humoredly despised live but half
a home life and have but half OF their
natures satisfied would seem to go with |
out saying. The mother twho is often |
enough chief accompIice in the whole |
AFFAIR." may fatter herself that she is |
enough for them, but she is not. The |
paternal element is indispensable in the
proper adjustment of family life. Boys, |
in especial, need mans hand, above |
all at that difficult age when two facts
of tremendous moment overspread their
entire mental horizon-the extreme i'm |
portance of themselves and the extreme |
insignific3nce of woman. The next best
thing to sending them into the wilder |
ness to grapple with these ideas in solf- |
tude is 10 have fathers firm yet SYM
pathetic touch assist with the reins of
government
Chief offender and chiefsvictim how
ever, in the whole lamentable state of
affairs is papa" himself He may not |
think 1t, for a brief 10 years or so, |
when the children are cunning but |
troublesome. but he has other interests |
In life-his business, his amusements, |
his friends. But when middle age creep
ing on finds the friends fewer and fewer
and the amusements less and less anus |
ing and the business more and more
Of a fum-drum grind, he looks TO his
home as q haven in way in which he |
never did before. But he has grown |
out Of touch there; the boys are grown /
up now; their interests are not his; |
they are stiff and awkward with him. |
way; his wife is completely wrapt upI
out in the cold The mere bread-win- |
who could best be spared-he sees him
times are out of joint.
Not the times, but himself No wayt
has yet been invented for reaping 9TH
erwise than as we have sown. If the
man to whom has been brought home |
the bitter truth of his own insignifcsnce |
has still younger children. let him re-
member that 1.-The only way to undo
what's past is to put a stop 10 II before
IT happens" as one of the Partington
family has It. Now, before the years
have added more stones 10 the wall |
rising up between them. IL may be pull |
ed down, and father and children meet
on ground of friendship and affection