The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-10
CHILDREN SUFFER

EATHERS and mothers are important peo-
4 pie Far more important, in the lives of
their small sons and daughters than they
sometimes think Recently, among the
spangIed signs that illuminate Broadway's
make-believe world, the name of heart
breakingly tender, human play swung against
the late winter sky. wednesdays Child" it
is called.
Wednesdays Child is a little boy
huggable tousled, yellow-haired youngster
whose father and mother stopped loving
each other and loved other people instead.
They were fond of Bobby. But they had
so MANY new interests, and Bobby was so I'M
happy in his shattered Httle-boy world, that
they decided to send him to military school.
Of course they came to see him. That was
rather hard
You see they weren't "aCting" parents any
more Just-people to be polite to. After a
while they would stop coming, Bobby's room
mate told him That would be easier. They
nut huge sums of money in the head masters
safe. instead of bringing presents, although
Bobby and his schoolnnates were limited to
Is cents a week Funny, isn't it, how parents
sometimes forget to think?
Bobby and his roommate, who also had
four parents. decided that they could get along
without fathers and mothers since fathers and
mothers could get along without them Just
knowing that helped
Certainly no two people whose love has met
disenchantment are asked to face each other
with gallant nonsense across a perennial din
ner table. Children are sensitive. They know
when loves banners trail.
But there are certain elements of decency
good taste. if you please-which no parent
has any right to violate. Bobby's mother for
got She kissed her lover surreptiously in
dark places and Bobby's playmates saw and
tainted him about it.
Children do not have a background of ex
periences against which to establish their
values of comparison. Soon enough they must
ride through the garden gates, to conquest or
defeat.
For little while they deserve to linger in
world where there is nothing more important
than a game of POM pom-pull away, birth
day cake or a new bicycle. They should go to
circuses with fathers whose hearts hold little
boy dreams
They should attend Sunday school, as
Bobby wished he could do. They should romD
from school at $3.50 to mother who greets
them with kisses and ginger cookies.
They should make friendships. Psycholo-
gists tell us that the early years are the
formative years If playmates fail one, as
Bobby's did the drums play more slowly and
the march is never again so brave and fear
less Nor is it so easy to establish older in
tinlacies.
Sinclair Lewis, writing about another boy,
in his new novel Work Of Art laments the
fact that his parents gave him so many hotel
duties that he had no time to swim and hunt
and grow comradely with his schoomateS.
That is bad enough. But Bobbys plight was
worse.
He was Ostracized. The Importance of his
mothers kiss has nothing to do with the tor
ture which was inflicted upon the child Her
lack Of fnesse and consideration were pretty
bad
Wednesdays Child is full of Woe the old
nursery rhyme tells US Bobby didn't know
about that Just that he didn't feel hungry
any more and it was sort Of hard to run fast.