The Washington times., 1937-03-24

hope that children will do bett
with two who are miserable?
No less an authority than the
dean of Princeton University has
said that the child of a divorced
family is antisocial lone wolf.
On the other hand, this highly
intelligent letter from girl of II,
living in a loveless home, is worthy
Of serious consideration:
Dear Miss Fairfax:
"A recent letter in your column,
signed Husband and Wife, made
me want to give you q slant on q
home where there is no love be-
tween the parents. For as many
years as I can remember, my
mother and father have not been
on friendly terms.
DAD IS BLAMED
Everyone blames Dad, because
at one time he had an affair with
another woman. That is over now,
but there were many battles over
this. Dad never speaks to mother
unless it Is absolutely necessary,
and she can't understand this.
Everyone in town knows about
the strained relations, and can
tell you my brother, sister and 1
all have grand inferiOrity COM
plex, knowing that everyone is
aware Of this.
"All our friends speak about
their mothers and fathers taking
them places, and doing this and
that together, but we never go any
place with our parents. We always
stay home, unless some sympathiz-
ing friend takes us, and this makes
us feel so indebted.
1--WE never invite anyone to the
house because they always feel the
tension. And if we do ask friends
over they refuse, for they know
it will be embarrassing.
ONLY HAPPINESS
"The only happiness we have Is
seeing our friends in school. And
we thank God for that. firmly
believe there are two sides to every
story, and my heart aches for
both my parents.
"If they had separated, when
they first realized they couldn't
get along, we chilren would have
been happier with mother. AS it
is, she is never happy. Neither is
Dad. Consequently, we children
are always unhappy.
1--WE children all know that Iiv-
ing in a home kept together for
the chiIdren's sake is terrible, not
only for the parents but for the
youngsters. And I'd q thousand
times rather face the humiliation
of having had our home broken
than to spend another eight years
going on as we have.
eve feel we have to work out all
our own problems, because our
parents have made such a mess
of working out their own. We can
never consult them-'MOther has
enough to worry about and Dad
can't see anything our way He
very seldom even talks to us chill
dren. His mind is always busy with
his own affairs.
UNHAPPY CHILDREN
"GOd help the children of par
entS who don't get along! They'd
be much happier living with one
happy parent than living with
two who are unhappy. We are
still trying to overcome our in
feriOrity complex, and we only
ask that God may hear our pray
ers for help.
"REVOLTING CHILD"
It is taken for granted, when
unhappily married parents keep
home together for the children,
that it is not going to be the
terrible place this girl describes.
Her parents are so sunk in their
own concerns and selfiShness as
to be unworthy Of the name.
The father feels, if he pays the
bills, his whole duty is done.
The mother cannot forget the
other woman and the wretched
SullenneSs in which her husband
has taken refuge. Both parents
are deficient in good sportsman
ship when they allow personal
unhappiness to warp their chill
dren's lives.
But a home in which un-
happily married parents have a
genuine sense of responsibility is
better kept together.