St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1958-07-04


the two year old.
] Finally in desperation, she asked
him II he would like a drink. She
/ got cup and told him there was
just enough for each Of them to
have a half glass Of water. The
mother was drinking and when she
stopped for a minute, the child
stuck one finger down in the cup.
She said, Bobby, what do you
mean putting your hand in the
cup" She had frightened him
with her sharp tone OF voice and
tears yelling in his eyes he told
her he just wanted to see IL she
was through drinking her half!
lie had evidently seen her stick
her finger in the baby's milk to
see II II was just right and he
though he could do the same).
An Of the passengers who had
heard his answer really laugh
ed. Hearing them laugh eased
the mothers tension and she
too, smiled and gave the boy
his half of the water.
The four year old boy had been
having a grand time with an
elderly couple who were enjoying
hearing him explain about the
"Sputnik" and he was really gain
ing an audience, he was so sin
cere and whether he knew what
he was talking about or not, he
sounded impressive and so, with
another hopeful sigh, the mother
closed her eyes for a moment to
relax.
She relaxed, for ONE MOMENT,
for II was the two year old who
tried to walk over the baby TO
get out of the seat and the poor
mother started the routine over.
She told me in answer to some
questions that she was told not
to try to make such a long trip
from a small town in Michigan to
farm in Montana alone with the
children. She was so homesick for
her parents she said she would
have Travelled 10 Europe to see
them. Too, she said the children
would be on the farm and she
would not have TO watch them so
close Her husband is in the Air
Force and viii be gone for two
or three years. He spends his fur
loughs with them and she plans
TO be at home before he is there
again.
Another mother with three
youngsters, two boys and a girl
sat in front of me. Her mother
and her aunt sat in front of her
with two of the children and the
mother kept the baby. She was
most efficient young mother-let-
ting Mother and Auntie do all of
the worrying. The extent of her
care of those two was to criticise
the things her elders said. II
they corrected the children, daugh-
ter told them, "let them alone,
they are just babies.
In desperation the grandmOth-
er got out Of her seat and told
daughter TO take care Of Rom
ME, she was tired. Daughter
told Der TO keep him awhile
longer until the baby went to
sleep.
/ wondered how any daughter
could speak in that tone to her
mother who was so kind to her.
The mother told me she had left
her home in Grand Rapids, Mich.
to go to Chicago to meet her
daughters train and help her
transfer in Chicago and she was
going on to st. Paul to see that
they arrived safely. She said she
guessed her daughter was worn
out getting herself and children
ready TO make the trip and she
tried to overlook her harsh words.
1 decided that was it, too.
Soon the man who was the oc-
cupant of the window side" Of
her seat came back. She started
up a conversation with him. He
was old enough to be her father,
but she seemed determined TO
make him talk. He turned TO the
window and she kept talking and
his face was so red, he looked
disguised.
She ignored her mother and
aunt and talked on and on until
the man finally made an excuse
and got out of the seat, saying.
excuse me, I want TO see II my
wife wants to go to the dinner"
could see the aunt and mother
looking dsggers at her when she
started the conversation with this
man. Did l say, conversation ?
It was a talSathon, because the
man did not say two dozen words.