Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-07
Your Child's
Interest in
Strangers
DO Not Feel That
1t AfrOnts You
Or Your Home
BY ANGELO PATRI.

OlllluIell are llOC lldtGtTcIS. 1Ilcy
have little interest in peoples feel
ings save where those feelings con-
Germ themselves One of the most
unhattering of all their ways with
us is their preference, at times, for
the company of other people,
strangers to the family circle.
Mothers, especially, resent this and
often make a mistake by doing so.
Billy struck up acquaintance with
Mrs. Lily, who lived in pretty gar
den place that had a greenhouse
and cold storage frames and gold
fish and flowers by the hundreds.
Mrs. Lily was a gardener and rec
ognized a kindred spirit. The gar
den fraternity is closely knitted
one and strong for one another.
Billy's fingers itched to plant the
seeds in the fats of sifted and
smoothed soil, and Mrs. Lily helped
him to have the pleasure. When
the seeds came up he had the joy
of transplanting them, and he
couldn't wait until school let out so
he could see how his treasurers were
growing. Every afternoon found
him heading to the garden down
the street His mother lost patience
and one afternoon descended upon
Mrs. Lily accusing her of using"
her boy.
Billy had to stay home after that,
although Mrs. Lily had made no
reply whatever to his mothers at
tack. Instead of racing in happily,
getting his bread and jam sandwich
and rushing out again Billy moped
Just sat in the corner and moped
until his mother could not stand it
and put him outdoors. Then he
sat on the doorstep like cat, which,
thrust out in the cold, sits in a
mournful huddle winning the SYM
pathy of the passers-by. Mother
couldn't stand that long either. Go
out. Go somewhere. Do something
I don't care what it is, but do some
thing"
Can I go to Mrs. LiV's?"
Eyes, you can. Why you want to
leave your own mother to 60 to a
strange woman-but go; 60 wher-
ever you like
Mrs. Lily listened to Billy's excited
story. gave him his usual tools and
let him 60 to work. He found his
seedlings growing Justify. Every
thing just so. and one flat needed
transplanting right away. Mrs. Lily
saw him started on it and then she
slipped away to call on Billy's
mother. Just what she said and
what Billy's mother said, I don't
know. But they were friends ever
afterward, and Billy got great joy,
and in time. much profit out of his
experience in the little garden. For
Billy was a gardener by right of
birth.
Children always enjoy going visit
ing, at all stages of their growth.
But at certain stage, early ado
lescence usually, they seek the COM
partnership of strangers, confide in
them form friendships with them
Many of these friendships are of
great good to the children. Such
an association ought to be en-
couraged unless there is very clear
reason against it.
This friendship with another FAM
lily or stranger-friend, is not an af-
front to home and mother. 1t is
the indication of the beginning of
the maturity that leads a child
away from home and family out
into the world as an independent,
elf-sustaining individual. There is
a long road to travel still, but this
is the start. 1t is we'll if the start
is felicitous. Be grateful to the per-
son who helps the child, remember
ing that it is the child who is using
the other person to his own advan-
tage.