The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-04-12
EEY0UR
CHILDREN
81 Olive Roberts esrsen
TuE LONELY CHILD ~ OFTEN
TOO WELL blfEi/fIfisED

IIlE IADeN VII AMANfV ~ VI ItIN
TOO WELL shEiTisisssD
uE LOSES COMPASSIONATE
AND ROBUST .PLfcABUREB
How n ctitld can Dc well
cared for aud still be- lonely
~ described By Olive Roberts
barton ~ another OF her aFtt.r
cIes on Child Trimming.
Strange that ! should be writ
ing this particular part OF my SER
les where ! ann at prosent---iB the
far West whore desert and noun
tain meet,
After twenty years OF conduct.
ing n column, one needs n rest.
And yet II IN never n complete
rest because wherever ! go, work
goes with me. But all that I see
IL grjst 10 my mill and am ever
anxious TO pass on 10 my mother
friends the impressions ! gather
ms ! CO.
There are a number OF children
nj this 1uiet resort, children OF all
ages nice children simply dressed,
supervised mostly by nurses or
governess, and living weil-or-
dsred, quiet lives,
Children OF the Rich
But AZ ! am writing about play
mates nj present, one thing strikes
me most foreibly. They are lonely,
these children, IL IN not the place
for ~ places go there IN ~ much
10 do here M anywhere. IL IL
something else. And II IN not the
parents either, for know many
Of them and they are neither neg
ieetfuI nor Indifferent, II II n
faJlGcy 10 think that this fnofe
fortunate mother lacks heart
where her children are concerned
and spends her time between
beauty pnrlofs, the golf links and
the ballroom.
But I have seen the children of
the rich in almost every setting.
| know some Of the families tnti-
mntely. have watched their ba-
bies grow up from infancy 10 man
or w0m1nbOod md get the same
picture always. n sort of exquisite
loneliness,
They themselves. OF course, are
not aware of II, and II IN Just A.
well. But the extreme simplicity
Of their lives, their segrattan,
and eternal supervision (Which OF
late years has had TO be In
ersasedf fills ms with heartachs
for them, They get excited ana
thrilled over some ordinary little
event that the average child would
consider pretty small change In
deed.
The Wholesome Spirit
I shall always feel that the lit
tie fellow or the little girl who
trHmps home from school, throw
ing snOwbaIls md getting himself
generally dirtied M. who slams IN
and hooks an apple or a cookie
yeils. Hello, mon, I'm home"
and slams out again. banging his
sled or his wag0n down the steps
10 Join his crowd, is living such
real life md such real life,
Holes in the carpet don't matter.
and dnfped knees, and ilttis jelr
" on the table cloth. II NIL goes.
ff's life md they are right In the
thick Of Il.
myself have been through
everything. When was mending
underwear 10 make II endure am
other last month, or bem0abing
chair with the springs on the floor.
or wondering II n quarter would
get enough meat for supper, en-
Wed the rich. My theme song
was. II don't care for myself, but
rs for the children"
have lost that O lot, The
scales have dropped from my
eyes. know now that ! was
never happier than then. Not
that ! have Joined the privileged
anything else but, am still
"pIuFehr" and n dollar H. n preei-
Gus thing. but those earlier strug-
giles we're normal and usual strug-
sIes and | know that tho children
had real and wholesome lives,
BUOyancy 6f Youth
" comes 10 me that those chill
dfeb growing M on n friendly
street IN little house where
mother troned. or canned fruit.
or cleaned windows, had o. richer
life in many ways tban thoss
chased ms more fortunate, One
has 10 have perspective 10 see
certain things.
Pnfhabs nv snvDhfhy for the
little rich" js neither needed nor
appreciated. PERHAPS there IL
something do not understand.
But ] have been pretty well over
the cenBtrv IN my time and have
met 6ll kinds OF people. and tbs
stays. The child who
~ too sheltered, ~ supervised,
and too limited lends n sort Of
starvation existence 10 ms
! remember one time seeing Ave
littts children rolling In n Di0wed
field down south while tbeir ded-
dy showed along the old family