Milford chronicle., 1936-07-03
COME AND SEE
BY Ellen Bradshaw

BY Ellen BRADSHAW
When / left the highway and turn
ed into the cinder lane leading bach
to the cottage where Eleanor Matter
son and her small son were spending
the summer, l wondered what they'c
be doing this time They we're al
ways doing something interesting.
There was no one on the porch
The swing and rocker under the ap-
pie tree were vacant. l heard moth
ing and was about to go down to
the river where they often hshed
when a peal of laughter that was
unmistakably Billy's rang out.
"They take it away from each
other!"
Clumsy things" laughed his
mother.
The voices were behind the hedge,
and when l came into the gateway
l almost stepped upon Billy. His
mother and he we're both on the
ground watching the maneuvers Of
a pair of tumble bugs
Billy moved over and / sat down
to take my nature lesson with him
The desperate haste of the awkward
bugs going inefficiently somewhere"
was drOlly fascinating. One wonder
defed how far they had come with
their precious burden and how much
farther they must go on his hard,
dry ground to find a suitable storage
for it.
who discovered them?" ! asked.
Mother did" cried Billy, Il was
looking at pictures when she told me
to come and see sOmething!"
was spending a week with them,
and I'now pictured Eleanor as had
often seen her. finding Billy and Civ
ing him the magic. Come and see, I"
that brought the light of adventure
to his eyes. II might be a new flow
er, a birds nest, a sunset, or even
the pouring of the soda into the sour
milk, that ELECTED the call, but it
was always something to be studied
and enjoyed together.
1 recalled, too. EleanOr's readiness
TO drop her work or pastime when
ever Billy. full of mystery, came
catching at her hand with, Mother!
Come and see something!"
If Eleanor never does anything |
else, often tell myself, this one un- |
conscious habit OF hers will insure |
Billy's being her pal for he. Just
this one thing.
thought, too, of the by-products-
keen observation, nature lore and
scientific or artistic contemplation
and the development of orderliness
in reasoning. Indeed, a dozen good
tfCnfrrn.aeaff !
Eleanor's way; and. surely, with
very little conscious effort it could
become any mothers or fathers way.
Billy, too, is a strong-willed child
and when he was two years old, it
was predicted that he would give his
parents a great deal of trouble dur
ing his boyhOod. But, on the con-
.rary, there is seldom a particle of
friction between them. / believe it
S due to their happy comradship
which has grown out Of the system
Come and see"-sharing expert
'nces. His mother constantly notes
he little things that will interest a
10Y. and Billy brings all his import
mt interests to her. His father hag
he same faculty of going right along
With him when they are together.
The parent who poses as a model
r holds himself aloof in his expert
noes with life. puTposefully Great s
ng an impression Of superiority in j
is desire for his child's respect,
1ses the opportunity TO gain that re- |
peet and instead drives the child {
rom him. The parent who learns q
bridge the mental distance be-
veen his child and himself finds his e
hid looking up to him adoringly. v
is the hand-in-hand attitude of d
Come with me and see" that sue v
seds.
q