The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-10-13

J4toCElL love II
the current issue Of the Parents
Magazine. The children who are
experiencing this emotion are in
the grip Of a cyclonic force, he says,
and urges parents to be tender and
gracious in their understanding In
time the emotional cataclysm will
adjust itself.
Do you remember the small tanned
boy who used to bring you red apples
as CALAMITY as any legendary knight
came bearing golden fruit to a prin-
cess in tower? You thought you
would love him forever and for
ever.
But one day you noticed guiltily
that his voice did rasping things
to you when he recited. 1t was as
horrible as chalk squeaking on a wet
blackboard. You wished that the
little boy wouldn't be asked to de-
fine pronouns and nouns and bound
countries As a silent idol he was
so gloriousl His voice was chang
ing and somebody else, some day,
would find it as sweet as Davids
when he chanted psalms to Saul.
But you didn't know that. SO you
grew a little older and loved some
body else for a little while.
Puppy love? OF course. But it took
care of itself.
Don't Tease About Affections
Children should never be leased
about their fondness for each other.
After all, during that interlude be-
tween childhood and adulthood, the
world is a beautiful place to two who
adore each other. Never. never again
will it be so wonderful.
The emotion may be as brief as
April rain, but the memory will hold
haunting loneliness long after abid-
ing, stronger love comes to older,
wiser hearts.
Adolescence has its tragedy, too.
Children have no background of
experience against which to etch
their present problems. They have
not lived long enough to learn that
happiness is comparative. There is
no tomorrow on their calendars.
When a little boy. who has rid
den into a little girls heart like
knight with a scarlet plume, chooses
somebody else as the recipient of
favor, the first little girl bows to
sufTocating brightness of pain.
Not ever, ever should she be leased
because the little boy took some
body else to the party. Hearts may
not break. but they bruise rather
easily. Even adoleScent hearts. May
be especially adolescent hearts.
To be teaSed about a queer boy
or girl is a crucifying experience.
The adolesCent age is a conven-
tional age. Yet there are many par
ents who derive pleasure from
watching a child squirm as they
amuSe contemporaries by reciting a
tale of the fictitious fondneSs of the
child for a squint-eyed half-wit.
Such teasing makes children self
conscious. They ill avoid normal
contacts. Sometimes it takes a
great many years TO put by the care
less words of a loving, but thought
less. parent.
Help Make 1t Lovely
Fathers and mothers can not elm
mate puppy love by ignoring it, Mr..
Page asserts. It is a necessary part
Of adolescence. After all, no one
who ignores his scales ever plays
Chopin. Hearts that had no intro
ductory tenderness may find it more
difficult to love with that everlaSt-
ing understanding that beareth all
things, believeth all things, hOpeth
all things. endureth all things.
An adoleScent child is merely
choosing a figure to wear the man
tie of his fanciful weaving. The
threads of the garment are more
ethereal than earthly. If the Situa-
ton is treated with consideration in
time the mantle Will be voluntarily
removed.
AdOlesCent love is not like measles,
whOoping cough and scarlet fever
1t is not a disease to be avoided
First love is a preface TO devotion.
In later years. oh much. much later
years, when the boy or girl is cling
ing to love long-tried. he Will re-
member his early rOmancing with
fondneSs. if his parents helped him
make it something tranSitory and
lovely Youth Is sweet and brief
Everyone has a right 10 aSrOmance
that exists mostly in the mind.
tCopyright 1884, NEA Service. Incl