The evening world., 1919-01-16

certain conditions OF deceitfulness
and dissension from which it Is well
to have children removed.
Granting all these things, there re-
main numberless cases in which to
obtain a satisfaction o. the senses
inherently temporary. man or a
woman pulls down the temple of the
home upon the children.
You Americans get so many di-
vorces because you take marriage too
seriously" French woman OF the
world remarked 10 me last week.
TOO seriously and yet not seriously
enough. The grand opera OF life
cannot DO all overture. yet that is
what you expect. when you are dis
appointed. without stopping TO weigh
the serious responsibilities you have
undertaken toward society, toward
your children. toward the institution
| or marriage itself. you rush off to get
a divorce. And you destroy the most
| beautiful thing in the world, the
] child's gift OF wonder. the child's be-
| het in happiness. Look over there
by the fountain" she exclaimed sud
denly. "at those two little ones. One
! can see from the look in their eyes
: that their parents love each other"
We were seated at dinner in a grill
room in the roaring fortles. About
Us was the usual medley OF correct
elderly gentlemen dining with les,
correct young ladies. married couples
rich In money hut bankrupt in illu-
sions. Western visitors taking It all
in with singular blending OF visit
fulness and disapproval, officers I'm
KHAKI Neowomen in uniform, blase
walters and portly "captain" O., the
dining room who moved among ~
with the aloof condescension OF Louis
tho Sun-King taking the air in the
gardens OF Versailles.
My gaze followed the gracious cas-
ture or my French friend and 7 aaw
Tor the first time a tiny fountain
edged with ferns over which two ch,i-
dren bent with enchanted eyes. Tho
cider, a girl OF perhaps six, had n
chubby arm about the shoulders OF a
lttle boy Of three or four, and with
ner free hand was pointing out 70
hlm the hidden wonders OF the foun.
tain. The blue star flowers that
served the little boy for eyes openci
wider as they received glorious i'm
pressions Of lean baby alligators and
gorged goldfish. The little girl sought
evidently to create the impressIon
that these marvels were an old story
to her, that she was in a measure re-
newinS her childhood in the wonder
or the little boy. Nevertheless, her
brown eyes brimmed with the saue
oedazzlement. But when Jean, great
captain OF walters, suddenly lost n.
air of weary disdain. and, plunglnx a
fat hand in the fountain. drew out a
baby turtle and held the wrigglin-
Offering out to the two children. the
girl drew back in a horror that was
only half simulated, while the little
BOY reached out to touch the turtles
back with a pink forehnGer and then
gurgled delightfully."- over his own
courage.
For one moment at least every one
in that dining room, correct old gem
tlemen, less correct young ladies, Of
hccrs back from the mouth OF hell.
bankrupts OF romance. yeowomen,
tired walters, and Jean, the Sun.
King, all passed under the magic
spell OF childhood. Yes" said at
last, they are. as you say. the chill.
dren OF happy parents But even
when parents are not happy. how do
they dare to break that fairy en-
chantment, rub out the look OF won
der from baby eyes that see too much
make deaf to the chimes of faiIy
bells baby ears that hear wrauxling
and recriminaton,"
II don't know" answered my friend
the French woman, unless it Is that
they are blind and deaf thcmselye5,"