New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-11
Books

One Of our English visitors, and we
think it was Hugh Walpole, commented
on the terrible manners of American
children, but added that he was not dis
posed to view the condition with alarm
since these same children generally de-
veloped into kindly and considerate men
and women. DR.. John Roach Straton
views the problem less calmly.
after many years of observation as
pastor in the homes Of the people," he
writes in "The Menace of immortality"
81 record it here as a profound convic-
ton of my mind and heart that the mod
ern theater and movie show have done
more than any other single force to mar
and destroy the holier things of human
life. Especially have they harmed the
home life and the children of to-day. >.
Do we not see already on every side
the evidences of the evil fruitage from
this wrong sowing? The pertness of
many children to-day, their sophistica-
ton, even when they are very young,
and their fippant attitude toward their
parents and all grown people, are often
shocking. The use of such expressions
in connection with the father as 'the
governor and in connection with moth
ers as the old lady, are distressing
symptoms of wrong tendencies"
On the contrary, the tendency is
sound. We should not like to be called
"the governor" very much, but we do
wish that H. Sd could find something
less formal than dada" If children be-
gan by calling their parents "Bill' and
"Sally" and such names it seems to us
that the chances of close and continued
companionship between the generations
would be much enhanced. About father"
and diminutives there is certain aloof-
ness. They serve to mark the gap in
years. They even have an odor of au-
thorty. 1t is hard to say or to think
"mother" or "father" without a feeling
of reverence. Centuries Of custom have
fixed that The fact exists, and it is
distinctly deplorabe. Nobody can really
like any one for whom he feels or is ex-
pected to feel reverence. No quality in
the world is so destructive Of friendship
and of fun.
And yet there are any number of
parents who want to be liked, reverenced
and obeyed all at the same time. A per
son of that temper should bring up
puppies and not children. If there is to
be any truly close companionship be-
tween young and old it can be accom-
plished only by the parents becoming
children. We appreciate the difficulties
of this. We do not even know that it
can be DONE but we do realize the tragic
failure of the attempt to achieve close
relationship by making little men and
women out Of youngsters. 1t may be
that the best way is to admit that chill
dren and grown-ups are persons of
different race and may live together in
comfort only by the strictest respect for
each others boundaries There is
CIceTIQluCSS III lHlS, dilQ the dttSmpl
bridge the frontier and civilize the bar
barians is natural, no matter how much
the barbarians may suffer.
One of the cruelest customs Of the
missionary from our day to the grow
ing generation is the attempt to make
the child adopt our code of manners, to
teach him what we call politeness. In
thousands Of homes every day there is
enacted the following scene:
Father-Will you have some more po-
tatoes, Johnny?
Johnny-No.
Father-No what?
Johnny CATER long and rebellious
pause)-No, thank you.
The only result of this process is that