The Omaha guide., 1934-10-06
Seven
Universal APPEAL
BY PAUL JAY

When we bought the radio | thought
we would always have harmony in the
home. It has proved, rather, the cause
Of more than one discordant note in
the family symphony. There was a
time when the supper table was to
be the place where matters Of com
mon interest were discussed. There
we learned who was moving into the
neighborhood who was going out and
why, who had the measles and why
Nellie had to stay after school. The
children generally har the choicest
bits of news to relate but we older
folks listened with no little interest to
all hat was said. There were friend
ly discussions about everything from
why the High School boys didn't win
the football game to the manner in
which United States Senators were
chosen.
Now, all this is changed. We no
more than gather round the family
board than Bob jumps up, dashes wild
ly for the radio and after a series of
Intellectual attempts gets the station
he wants. Patiently we wait Then
begins a tale Of adventure that is
narrowing in the extreme. We eat
cur virtuals to the tempa Of the tom
tom. We transport ourselves to re-
gains where tall grass and waving
palm trees form the setting for a
jungle drama where savage beasts
prowl and kissing serpants glide leav-
ing terror and death in their wake
Little Sisters face is filled with horr-
or, she sees cannibals lurking in the
dark corners of the room ready to
pounce on her if she stirs. Father
coughs ominiusly. Junior with all the
dignity Of a High School Senior asks.
"Mother do we have to listen to that ?"
while the meal proceeds in silence.
No longer is it the leisurely repast as
it used to be-. Everyone is sense, their
erves a bit edgy. Music soothes the
savage beast but a jungle mystery is
no aid to digestion.
When supper is finished and we have
all repaired to the living room the
conversation generally runs like this,
"Mother, can't we turn that off?
There's a swell program coming on
W WXYZ." All mothers ingenuity
is put to the test. There is a conn
promise. Everyone agrees to listen
to the children's hour. When this is
ever and the youngsters have gone
upstairs to study, junior has his
turn He wants something "Snappy."
The program he selects is all he
claims for it. The expression he
chose to describe it, however, is bet
ter designed to state the condition
Of our nerves than it is the music I'M
der constellation. Of there is anything
melodic in the scraping, s~creeching,
disor1ant jazz he seem to 50 thorough
" enjoy it IS yet to be discovered.
However, as it does to al the other
trials of life there comes an end.
Juniors program comes to a close.
It is Fathers turn. In his day Faith
n was a fiddler, played at country
dances, where he was the master of
ceremonies and where he called for
all the dances from the Lancers to
the Virginia Reel. Fathers choice Of
programs is inevitable. For a solid
hour he listens to fiddlers from north
south, east and west while his body
sways to the rhythm Of the melody
as he relieves again the happy timas
when he world was sane and sensible
and life moved ID the tempo Of an
old waltz.
Mother-well The day Is done and
the house wrapped in slumber before
her turn comes, but it's aH right she
figures. She loves organ music.
There1l be a wonderful program at
six thirty in the morning. AS she
sits watching the fire in the grate.
burn low, a ~pensiveness steals over
her. The family circle isn't a circle
any more There are SO many cor
ners to II. So many rough edges.
Every member of her happy group
wants Just what they want when they
want it. And then she smiles. Yes,
there is just time when they all
want exactly the same thing, when
the children come hurrying III when
dad is al attntion and Junior for
gets his dignity. It II when that
most popular Of al entertainers-the
commedian-goes on the air.
Tines haven't changed since the
good old days when The king loved
his jester when the world made merry
and reacted to the rollickiag song of
q troubadour. Tastes may differ in
the choice of entertainment but one
point we all agree and that is that
"You can laugh and the world will
laugh with YOU" but try almost any
thing else and some one viii tune you
out.
Glib GALLOWAY INTRODUCES