The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-06-18
Dorothy Dix Says
HONORING THE SMALL BOY.
By Dorothy Dix
The Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer

IN Japan the iith OF May is sacred
I'to the small boy II Is the boys
= festival. and = national holiday On
that day above every household, in
which there are boys, flags wave, and
from tall standard, float huge gaily
painted carp-lhc boys Symbol-"io~
even as the carp swims upstream
against the current, So must a boy
breast the difficulties in the river oi
liic."
In the house, in the inner room,
scroll depicting some scheme inspiring
TO a boys Imagination IS brought iorth
| and hung mp IN the kokemone and un-
dernca,h II is erected boys altar,
reSpcndcnt with eiiigieS OF the shoguns
in helmet and armor, gorgeously robed
| dalmyos. and stern two-sworded sam
urai of the past. and the nat,y sailors
and soldiers OF the present,
Before this are placed more standards
with bright hucd banners and tiny carp
and piles OF glit,cring toys, Tor this "A
the japanese boys Christmas tree and
birthday rolled into one, and the oc.
casion on which all OF his friends and
cPlatiycs are expected to make HIM
presents.
And the streets are filled with myri-
ads of chubby checked little lads, wear
ing the smile that won't come oft, and
sucking on adamantiue japanese candy
while they proudly exhibit their gifts %
each other
II is picturesque and beautiful
sight to thus see a whole nation taxing
day Of to pay tribute to the small
boy. and II is custom that might wei
| be initiated in our own country where
bovs as class, are without honor,
and none are so poor as to do them
reverence.
on course Individually We adore orr
own particular small boy, hut all others
oi the male species, between the time
they cut off their Faun,eroy curls and
grow mustache, we look upon witt
horror coupled with fear and dread. To
our minds they typiiy noise and DIRT
aud vandalism. and destruction and a
dcmoniac invcntivcneS that skaters
ouie,. and does away with all comfort
and composurc.
Landlords refuse to rent apartments
to those known TO possess small boys
real estate deprcciatcs when they move
into a community, and we would sooner
hear that visitor was bringing witt
her raging lion and a wild hyena thar
that she was TO be accompanied by her
prccSuS Tommy and Johnny.
Perhaps the reason that the American
small boy is such pest IN our miaSl
il because he senses that we regard
him as an Ishmael, and he therefore IN
consciously takes the outcaSts rcvcng,
upon society. Certainly we do not give
him square deal when We force hin
TO live in cities, in tiny band box tlat'
where there is no space for his actiyi
ties and energies, and where he u
forced out OH the streets IN order tina
older people may not be driven by hin
into insane asylums.
Every boy is entitled TO he raiSet
} on a farm where there is enough room
) for him to move about his hobble de
hoy feet and hands, without knockin,
things over, and where he can yell al
he likes without breaking the peace
, When we deptive him OF his birth
right OF this freedom II is no wonde
that we so often make him criminal
and nearly always convert him into
sore ,ribula,ion to endure.
No, boys do no, ge, q square dea
with us. Not even in homes where the
are really wanted and loved. Whocvc
heard Of the boys getting the best roor
1 in the house, That is always given /
the girls. Any sor, of an attic chambe'
or dark cubby hole is thought goo
enough for the boys, and they invari
ably fall heir TO the hardeS, ma,trcSst
and the most dilapida,ed furniture i
the family
Maybe one of the reasons that be-,
bang ana hack chairs and table
around so is because they have ncyC
had any OF their own that was wort
taking care of There's nothing IN
lot of old junk that inspires in you