The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-05-05
What The Doctor Says BY DR. S. J. CRUMBINE, GENERAL EXECUTIVE AMERICAN CHILD HEALTH ASSOCIATION

china figure and, If my hunch is | worth anything, an accomplished little coquette. She must be two
 or three years older than Bill. In less than n minute Mrs John son had Mrs Marshall on the wire.
 "Yes," she snid as she replaced
 the receiver, "Bill was there carly
 in the afternoon, and he and Gar.
 cie went out for Q walk. That's
 the last Mrs Marshall has been
 seen of either of them, and she's annoyed because Oracle hasn't come in to supper" "I told you sol told you sol" chanted Mary --and was promptly reminded that it was time for bed!
 When Mary had gone, the three of us--Mr and Mrs Johnson and l discussed Bill and his sudden grow
 Ing up. Mrs Johnson was inclined to be distressed over it. she couldn't understand why her Bill, who had never shown much inter- est in girls beyond teasing Mary and her friends should suddenly begin running after "a chit of a thing like Oracle Marssall"! But MT Johnson chuckled and told hor she was Jealous: that Bill had been her boy for so long that she didn't want to give him up. Mrs John. son ldignantly denied this, saying that she merely felt Bill was too young to bo. "bothering his heaA with such nonsense" But Mir Johnson chuckled again and told her that 1t wasn't nonsense at all but q. very natural proceeding. He appealed to mo to back him up and of course l agreed that 1t was natural for boys and girls of adole- cent age to take an interest in each other. Bill Is a well-set-up. handsome lad and of course the girls are beginning to notice him. And Bill himself would be less than human if he did not enjoy n little admiration. Besides. ho Is beginning to find that a girl will give him lots of sympathy, will listen to his ideas and plans and make him feel grown up and i'm. portant.
 But Mrs Johnson need not worry about him. She and his father have given him a splendid ground. work on which to build his own adult life. They have given him c healthy mind and a healthy body. Of course it ia natural for them to want to have his from making mistakes, from being hurt by his from all sorts of un. known difficulties that lie ahead of him, but they know In their hearts that it can't be done. From now on, Bill will rely less and less on his father nnd mother and that is exactly as it should be. The main check on his behavior, as far as his homo is eoncerned, will Do the inderect influence of his father. Fortunately Bill and his father are good pals. and I feel sure that Bill would not deliberately do anything 10 forfeit his approval.
 It was nearly ten o'clock when Bill finally came in. He was quite frank about where he hnd been ito the movies with Oracle and then back to her house for q late snpper. I was glad to see that Mrs Johnson didn't scold him; she only asked him another time to let her know when he would be late, and he cheerfully promised he would. Then he too, went up to bed, and again we were left.
 For q little while we discussed the porch parties, the picnics and other social activities which this summer evidently holds in store for Bill. MT Johnson tensed Mrs Johnson about the wayl her clean- ing expenses would go up just as soon ns the white flannel season started and Bill demanded q fresh pair three or four times q week In order to impress tho girls. But Mrs Johnson managed 10 have the finaI word. "I don't care what you sny." she remarked. T give thnt Marshall girl one month be. foro Bill gets tired of her." And she may bc right at that!
 NEXT WEEK :R0bcrt's Appetite EnIla nH