Evening star., 1938-04-11
General the Younger Generation Of Today Shows
Poor Vision
May Cause
Bad Work
Faulty Penmanship
May Be Corrected
By Right Glasses.
BY ANGELO PATRI.


THAT'S all very good. Donald, but
the writing is so bad that can't
give you full credit for the compost
ton Why don't you write so people
can at least read it?"
Donald wrinkled his brow and
tWitched his nose. Why didn't he
write better when he tried so hard?
Other boys that didn't try half so
hard wrote beautifully. He was out
OF luck, that's all.
Report card day came along, Donald
had good marks except in penman-
ship. That was D and, what was
worse. there was a note on the card
that said, If Donald took pains with
his writing he could be on the Honor
Roll"
II there was one thing more than
any other that mother wanted it was
that she could send the weekly paper
out to grandpa with Donalds name
published in it as an honor pupil in
Greenway School, Marthas children
always had their names on the roll
and grandpa was delighted about it.
Here was Don getting no honors when
he might just as well be a star.
Now look here, Donald! You're
going to write as we'll as anybody
else. You're not going to play another
afternoon until your writing comes up
to the mark I'm buying a book for
you to practice in. and you're going to
work. Believe me, won't have you
a failure just because you are too lazy
to write"
Sad days began for Donald. Every
afternoon he struggled with pen and
paper only to show results worse than
the first. At the end of the second
week mother noticed that Donald was
tWitching his face, that his eyes kept
blinking in strange fashion. and
- that he kept wiggling his shoulders.
stop that twiddling What's the
matter with you? You act as if you
had the Itch"
II can't help it," said Donald and
broke into tears.
mo more than I expected" said
father grimly. you would make him
stay in and write instead of going out
to play. You might have known it."
why didn't you do something then
II you knew so much about it." said
mother in fear and evaporation.
you were in charge" said father,
loftily. II never interfere. If I might
venture to suggest it. try taking him
to DR.. Lewis. 1 spoke to him about
Don the other day, so he will be ex-
pecting you"
Mother held back the sharp words
she was entitled to speak and took
Donald to the doctor. Looks to me
as if he needed eyeglasses, and a rest
from close work" And that was quite
correct. Donald had such poor vision
that he could not see the paper on
which he was trying to write. The
strain had made him nervous and
brought on these tics that annoyed
him so.
A month after Donald had his new
glasses his teacher said, Your pen
manship has improved so much that
I couldn't believe it was yours until
looked at the name on the back of
the paper. This month you go on the
honor roll"
"See," said father with conscious
grin. II knew what to do. Next time
ask me-"
NO" said mother "1'u save time
and ask DR.. Lewis. He told me he
had seen you and spoken to you about
Don. He had noticed him in church
You can't steal that credit You
weren't bit smarter than I was"
Anyway, Don is on the honor roll
and everybody is happy.
Mr. Patri has prepared a leaflet
entitled, THE Shy Child" in which
he tells parents how to help chill
dren overcome shyness and fear.
Send for it, addressing your request
to Mr. Angelo Patri, Child Psy-
chology Department of this paper.
1nclose a self-addressed, stamped
(3-cent) envelope.
(Copyright, 1881