Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-29

Say. thf8 II on the side. You
" might suppose that, with two
NJ youngsters aailin' mo pop. and
one gotn' on '1even years old,
ia be more or less wise to the art of
Saisfn' 'em. Ought to be, anyway
hadn't II And I expect at times 1 do
makS = noise like am. But right
now. while 1 got my chin dropped. I
want to admit that the longer I keep
at II the less I seem to know about
bein' . parent.
Last Saturday afternoon was a fair
sample Of how Tn apt to crab the act.
First OF. I wasn't countin' on bein'
called to stand the stern father test.
% I was caught kind of of my guard,
II that's any alibi
rd closed the Physical Culture Studio
At noon. sent Swiftly Joe home re-
1oicin' to his South Brooklyn truck
patch. and had hurried out TO Rock
hurst myself. tho big idea being to
help Dominick in little repair Job
on the sen wall. I'd got myself into n
pair of overalls. and we had a tub OF
cement all mixed. when Sadie appears
on the back veranda and begins wavin'
distress signals. Course. I has to quit
and go see what's broke loose.
well. what's gone wrong" says l.,
elm bin up the walk as far as the cor
ner Of the garage. Subs in the Of
No" says she; but l wish you
you'd Just come in here a moment.
Shorty"
knew the tone. and il amt often
Sadie gets that desperate note in her
voice So trails along in.
BRING him down here, Aunt Julia"
Ehe calls mp the stairs.
Not q regular aunt. you know. only
a cousin -in-law of Saddles on the Dip
worthy side. She's been stayin' with
US since Easter. and it's by request tina t
the children call her Aunt Julia
Understand. / don't mind havin' Julia
around-not bit 1 always have been
kind of strong for old maids. I admire
their pluck. for one thing. and genar-
ally they have a lot of good points. Be
sides. Aunt Julia adds sort of tone to
the establishment. Quite a highbrow.
for one thing. Oh. my. yes, Reads
things in French and Spanish. calls
names without chokin' and can talk
about such stun as the Bahai move
mont. Bernard Shaw and the free-verse
singers until you're dizzy.
Kind OF distinguished lookin', too,
when she's dolled up for a dinner party,
though I must say these smock effects
she wears around the house daytimes
look kind of sloppy to me. Also the
etringy way she does her hair
Ideas are Aunt Julia's long suit,
though She has 'em about most every
thing. and, of course. the proper way
Of bringin' up children is among EN-
% It's only natural that she's been
9fvfn' us a few points. Did you ever
SEQ an old maid who couldn't? But, on
the other hand. who are we to say we
don't need 'em?
Nothing naggy about Aunt Julia. Just
has her notions about things. and the
facts to back EN- up. So when this
serial debate about little sully's dane
In lessons breaks out again, and she's
listened to the youngster announce thai
he's on all that silly stun for good
and Sadie has sighed weary and put it
up to me. and I've passed out my usual
wabbly decision-well. then Aunt Julia
states her mind.
"Of course says she, 'if you think
the child capable Of deciding such mat
tors for himself. there's nothing more
to be said. II not. you should insist
firmly that he must do as you think
best
How about this dancin' business
thought I puts IN We Amt trainin
him up for any palmroom lizard or
cabaret scorpion. you know"
Aunt Julia smiles sarcastic
hardly think you need fear that
he VIII ever become professional
dancer" says she. But. to my mind,
dancing 10 precisely what he needs
now. It gives ono poise: 1t lends grace.
And An hour once a week among little
girls Of his own age will do him good.