Evening star., 1937-05-26
Love Of
Child for
Parents S
Y Youngsters Suffer
When Home Is
Broken Up.
sketched in 4 washinston shop.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

7 NEVER did believe that King
Solomon meant to cut that infant
In two with the sword and give half to
each Of the claimants. But felt
sorry, always, for the mother Of the
child, and Its father, and especially
the child. He might have seen that
shining sword, might have understood
the words Of the great king uttered,
might have heard that scream the
verdict forced from his mothers cold
lips. Poor child. If he did, what
undeserved suffering for him to bear!
1t is human for fathers and mothers
to disagree. Few people can live as
close together as father and mother
and not clash occasionally. That
soon passes and is forgotten. But
there are those who find that their
marriage has been q mistake, that 1t
has not brought the happiness, the
successes Of sorts, that were expected
by one or both sides. Living together
Is an aggravation Of old injuries, old
hopes, old loves. It means scars that
daily pressure opens wide and causes
pain well-nigh unbearable. Better
to part than suffer like this" is the
thought Of both.
But there is a child. What Of him?
He leans hard on father. Though he
is in the background of life, he has q
firm place in the child's affections.
Mother Is mother, and there Is none
to take her place. Home is where
father and mother are, where warmth
and food and sleep, laughter and tears
and comfortings abound. 1t Is the
place toward which the child turns
with certainty of welcome and relief.
II he loses this what is left him?
There is nobody and nothing that
can take the place of child's parents
and home. The most well-meaning
person in the world cannot fill the
vacancy in the childs heart left there
by the loss Of home or parents. say
parents, for in my experience when
q child is torn from his home and
parents there can be no recompense
in his having one parent left. You
see he had two parents, knew two, and
loved two. His heart strings were
wrapped about those Of two people,
his father and his mother, and to him
they were the world with heaven
thrown in.
Children come into the world at the
invitation Of two people, q father and
mother, and for either or both of
them to break faith with that child is
disloyalty well-nigh objectionable.
If there is any possible way to bear
with each other a little while longer,
to hold hcme together q few years
more, to make child's home secure
for him just little longer, try for it.
Happiness IS not something that
lives in another town, in another
house, In another love. It is some
thing that is born Of your own spirit in
the place where you are. You create
it, you tend 1t, you preserve it as your
love and faith and loyalty permit.
Maybe there Is more happiness to be
found in staying by q child who needs
one than leaving him. or tearing him
up by the roots, to seek for it
elsewhere.
Lam sorry for those people who
must break up their homes and make
their children homeless, parentless
wanderers for their young days. But
I am deeply grieved by the sorrow Of
the children who are the innocent
sufferers Of such tragedies.
Mr.. Patri will give personal atten-
ton to inquiries from parents and
school teachers on the care and de-
velcpment Of children. Write him in
care Of this paper, enclosing . Scent
stamped, self addressed envelope tor
reply. .. ......