New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-03

is also a very bad system, although it
is possible that no love al all may be
better for a child than a superabun-
dance. 1t proves 70 be so in the play.
Before the curtain has fallen we find
that the girl is worth at least ten times
as much as the boy.
Possibly the fairest way in which to
convey something of the spirit and phi
losophy Of "The Harp of Life" would
be TO print speech from the play.
And the fairest thing TO do would be
TO print the best speech, although this
particular bit may injure our case:
AT that age he began to doubt
Santa Claus. He couldn't understand
how he could come down the chimney
with all the presents. So ! told him
the truth before the boy next door
could. He fretted for a few days, as
if he'd lost very dear friend But
reasoned him out of it by asking him
if he wouldn't rather know that his
father and mother gave him all the
pretty things instead Of long-whis-
kered old gentleman he didn't even
know. That cheered him up, and by
the following Christmas he was quite
reconciled to Santa Claus being pleas
ant fiction.
zone day little later he said: Don't
tell me the storks brought me, be-
cause they're all shut up in the ZOO
logical gardens And if the doctor
brings the babies, where does he get
them?' | saw how his little brain was
puzzled and instead OF evading the
point, as most parents do, ! decided to
forestall the boy next door from tell
ing him in some hideous way and
giving his mind the wrong outlook.
Why shouldn't l have told him? Is
there any more beautiful truth TO tell
than motherhood? In my opinion, it's
better for a child to learn the truth
from his mother than 10 pick II up IN
some vulgar, common way. Why not
impress it on his mind in some beauti-
full form while he still retains all the
imagination and the wonder God has
put there? So ! told him. ] told him
the great mystery of life as l feel il
should be told TO children-not as
something TO speak of in secret among
thems selves, but as the most marvel
lousy beautiful thing in all nature.
81 explained that the tiny baby, be
fore it was born, took its life from
the body Of its mother, that it came
into life through the mothers pain and
tears and that because of that sacred
and wonderful privilege that God had
given TO women all men who were
really men were always gentle and con
siderate and tender toward them. !
taught him why man always pro-
tected his because they
were the mothers Of the race. They
carried in them the little lives that
afterward peopled the world. Again
/ saw the small brain trying 10 CRAP
pie with its new wonders. In few
days the keynote of his future man
hoOd STOOD TeNedleO. y new ioOh came
into his eyes-a tender one of pity
protection and love He would watch
me anxiously. bring me a shawl if the
air was at all cold, footstool il !
looked tired and run for my slippers.
had taken on new value in his
eyes-a value that has steadily and
surely increased. ] was not only his
mother was a woman, the wonder
woman who brings forth children.
Even at that age he had learnt
what chivalry meant. sometimes
wonder when I see women standing IN
public conveyanees whether il the men
sitting stolidly and selfshly in their
seats had been told in their childhood
Of the delicate mechanism that consti-
tutes womanhood they would shame
their manhood by remaining seated
The age Of chivslry will never die so
long as from the time boy can frs.
understand life he is taught what
motherhood is, what is really meant by
the word woman"
.