Evening star., 1936-10-20
Meet Life's
AdverSitieS
Manfully
Strong Character AL
ways Victor Over
Handicaps.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

WHEN children discover as they
must, that their lives are shad-
owed by. troubles they cannot avoid,
don't try to cover the facts. Don't
hide them. 1t cannot be done. 1t Is
best to face the hard fact as it is and
put ones efforts to the task Of making
the dificulty bear as lightly as pos
sible on the spirits Of the children.
I remember very well the day an
enemy boy from the other block
called me a qualified Wop. I thought
1t was a terrible name, disgrace
full thing to be called, and as soon as
father was in a position to listen I
asked him, Am a Wop? What Is
a Wop?"
Father laughed. IT guess you are
a Wop." said he, "but I wouldn't let
it bother me, if were you. I'm one,
too. You see that Is the name that
bad-mannered boys have for Italians.
I happened to be born in Italy, so
am an italian. You are my son. so
you are an Italian. That is all that
the boy meant. I imagine his father
was born in some other European
country. The only Americans whose
people were born here originally are
the Indians"
But he meant it to be bad
name"
well, that is because he doesn't
know any better. You do. Next time
he calls you that stand taller. Re-
member julius Caesar, Michelangelo
and Dante. And tell him about Chris
topher Columbus" As father told me
their stories the hurt grew less and
after a time Wop fell on deaf ears. /
had learned that was an American
with q perfectly good right to the
title, and to an honorable history.
All problems are not solved as easily
as that one. Some that have roots
in tragedy are not to be wiped of
with an ancient tale. They have to
be endured with what grace Of spirit
one can muster. Time heals all
wounds, and some of them must be
left to his mercy
But some can be made lighter by
ones acceptance Of them. II a child
is afflicted, is lame or blind or deaf,
by schooling oneself to face the fact
one can usually help the child to the
same matter-of-fact attitude. There
are balances to be found, pleasure
that can be enjoyed even under the
stern hand of aff1iction, and one can
lead the children to see this.
To those who must bear the bitter
knowledge that for some fateful rea-
son they have been set apart from
their associates because Of nationality.
color, race or creed, there is always
q way out. Teach such child that
he is the child of his nation, his ira
dition, his religion, whatever it may
be, and that there is honor in the
belonging If there is honor in any
belonging on this earth.
Teach him that the first and last
quality that commands respect, ad-
miration and affection is manliness.
Nothing mean can stand in the pres
ence of a real man and show its face.
Character is the greatest force In
civilization today as it always has
been in the past. Twas an alien
son of Israel that ruled over Egypt.
One despised and rejected of men
became the corner stone of civiliza-
ton. A British-bred Yankee estab-
lished this nation.
It is not the body and its burdens
| that matter, not the scorn OF little
men that counts. It is character, the
spirit of a good man in action that
| conuuers. Face trouble and teach
the children how to overcome 1t.
Mr.. Patri will give personal atten-
ton to inquiries from parents and
school teachers on the care and de-
yelopment Of children. Write him
in care Of this paper. inclosing a
three-cent stamped. self-addressed en-
velope for reply.