Evening star., 1936-02-11
Chill ldren
Need Good
Companions
Not Advisable to AL
low Young to Isolate
Themselves.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

lMANY people have had to move
A'A from good neighborhoods to those
not so good because they could no
longer keep up their payments ca
their homes. or pay the rent for the
better houses. The children find
themselves among children whose ways
are strange to them. Perhaps they
use bad language, form gangs, get
into fights, and bring trouble to them
selves and their families by breaking
the laws. Shall the child who finds
himself in such a predicament stay
by himself or should he make friends
with these other children who are
not his sort?
Stay by himself. say. Better stay
alone than be in bad company. Soon,
If he is watching, he will find friend
or two Of his own way of thinking.
No matter how poor the neighborhood
there are always some good people in
it, always some fine children to be
discovered. Their clothes may not be
as neat or as good as those of children
who are better off, their speech may
not be as carefully guarded, but they
are good children and will make good
associates for the good boy who has
come among them. 1t will take
little time to find them, but if he looks
where they are he must find them.
Good companions usually belong to
clubs, libraries, Scouts. The stranger
boy might do well to join such groups.
for it is among them he will find the
best boys and girls every time. Don't
look for style and affected manners.
They will be absent. and no loss at
that. Look for cleanliness Of body,
dress and speech. Look for sound
health that shows in good color, gay
talk, overfowing playfulness and ever
ready laughter. BY these signs you
will know good companion.
OF course, there is the other side.
How good is the good boy or girl who
seeks fine companionship2 Has he
anything to offer on his side? Is he
kind and bright and happy? Does
he meet boys and girls in friendly
fashion and with good will? Is ne
full of health? If he is he will surely
attract friends and good companions
among the most distressed people.
am always troubled at the thought
of boy or girl who is isolated because
he finds himself in poorer neighbor-
hood than he used to know. I am not
quite certain that it Is the neighbor-
hood that is isolating him. Quite the
contrary. am rather sure that it is
the child himself that is retreating
because he fears the give and take of
the playground and street.
It is never wise to encourage that
attitude in a child. It is bad for his
mental health to allow him to isolate
himself, to retreat from life. He is
living the only life he will ever have
right now, and it Is useless to think
that by and by he will be different
and live differently. He must live now,
and his daily living qualities all the
living that is yet to come. He cannot
be a recluse, bystander, for the days
| Of his growing and become an effective
worker, good friend, q dependable
citizen some day in the future. He
must live now.
When q child retreats, says he
would rather read his book than play,
that he would rather play with his
little brother than with the boys on
the lot, study him q little. Study the
other children. Make up your mind
whether he is selective in his associates
or just negative about life. A healthy
child usually finds friend and COM
panion. Failure to do so is a signal
for grave consideration Of his state
of mind and body.