The Washington times., 1922-09-24

their adenoids and their
- tonslls out"
"We found he had an actual
complex against the nurse---"
80 that the nursery Is actually
scrubbed with antiseptics every
other day"
''In all the mental tests she was
eleven. but physically she Is seven
points short"
1--WE had that wonderful child
psycho-analyst--"
mot much in scholarship. but
they say it's the best school In
town to develop the play instinct
and the group consciousness----"
You know who was talking. A
circle of conscientious, clever. up
to-date mothers. all Of whom
wished and worked for the best
possible results for their children
or their child.
They were all busy women,
moving in capable order iron, one
claim to another; from club to card
party, from civic luncheon TO hos
pital call. from the tea with George
and his big client from Detroit to
Mason's to buy the cbildren's win.
ter stockings.
They were women With much to
do--too much to do. A dinner
party to them meant at least two
days of tedious duties. talks in the
kitchen. tho purchase Of flowers
and olives and cigarettes and
candy. the ordering Of logs for The
fireplace. and Ices and charged
water. the inspection OF glass and
linen. the anxious consideration Of,
their own costumes and head-dress
and fingernails and slippers.
"MOLLIE CAN TAKE HIM"
But none of them was ever too
busy to superintend any real need
OF her child. II Dicky had merely
to go to the dentist to have his
teeth Strengthened teyery Tuesday
and Friday after school for three
years., then Moilie could take him.
But when the dentist sent word
by Mollie that he would like to see
the child's mother. Of course, the
child's mother went. And when
little Hsrriet's dancing school had
a party. Mother was there. And
mother was pale and quiet and
concerned enough when Marjorie
was upstairs in the surgery. one
afternoon.
But these times, after al. are
the great emergencies, the great
crises, Of a child's life. The mother
Is there, with the party dress and
white slippers, or with the uni
formed nurse, as the case may be.
Otherwise. mother, to the mod
ern child. is a busy. efficient, rea-
sonable person. always too much
occupied to give one her undivided
attention and ready to remind one
not to be "a little fool" OF course,
Marjorie must 60 to school-non-
sense! Dicky 10 pleased to run off
isn't this his. school club after
noon? Well. anyway, mother II
having friends in
Marjorie adores her mothers
room: loves to sit there, and to OBJ
serve and listen. And both the
children like to 60 off in the car
with the grownups on Sunday,
even II no one pays much atten-
ton to them, except that Dad
pushes UP Dicky's upper lip with
firm thumb and studies his teeth
and says thoughtfully to some
body else, Hell strsighten outr'
and mother lifts up Marjorie's
name and says to Mrs. Porter:
Look, Helen-thicker far than
hhhS' bhihh sut IL De TalneT
cute, with that turned up nose and
brown skin"
GIVING EVERYTHING.
The modern mother gives her
children everything-except her
SELF, Hers may be the wiser
way. who knows? All good for
tune attend her, with her theories
and her system and her capable
fashion Of delegating her cares to
others!
But there are a few of us who
remember a different sort OF
mother. and sometimes It seems to
me that our modern children have
lost more than their adenoids and
tonsils and freckles and straight
hair and appendices.
They've lost that tender, wise,
leisurely relationship that has
neither reason nor logic nor sys.
TEN in it-but that goes through
all the sorrows and joys OF the
world with some Of us, and that
comes rushing back to US In a