Show Kathleen Norris Says Broken Homes Break Children Bell Syndicate Features r 1 w S wy j l t I C A 1 His head bung he looked fixedly at a pulley be he ha had in its his bis hand That all bo he asked thickly By KATHLEEN NORRIS THAT are broken WHAT homes The phrase is new for it has been in circulation tion only a few years But now one hears it on all sides Recently I visited a ahome ahome ahome home for boys I asked the thenice thenice thenice nice motherly woman who was in charge how many of the eager lonely little fellows whose ages ranged from 10 to 15 were orphans Almost none she answered quite simply as if that were the most natural thing in the world But then where are arc their fathers and mothers Oh she said looking cautiously cautious cautious- ly about and lowering her tone al although although although al- al though we were alone liv liv- ing Well no she corrected it some of them have only one par par- ent But most of them come from broken homes Broken homes Divorces Well Nell both she said cheer cheer- fully Mothers working very often The domestic situation is hard now and many people dont don't actually feel teel equal to the claims of children So they send us a boy or two You mean mean- mean mean-It It made me sick to think of it You mean they may have other children Often David she called to a small boy who went past us as we wandered into the grounds Your mother has another child hasn't she Child Is Ashamed Yep he answered not meeting meeting meeting meet meet- ing her look The whole story was there there the the shame and bewilderment bewilderment bewilderment bewilder bewilder- ment in a year olds heart when he was sent away Oh Ob of 01 course sent way to sufficient meals II a good bed honest kindly care safety But they kept little Sharon I and they sent him away His head hung he looked fixedly at a pulley he had in his l s hand all he asked thickly Theres There's another home for boys near our city I went there heartsick heartsick heartsick heart heart- sick yet determined to know what percentage of these little fellows had parents too And again it was the same story Divorce high living expenses working mothers desertion desertion- the most important clement element in any commonwealth the absolutely absolutely absolutely ab ab- ab- ab indispensable element the home broken up The much-feared much much-discussed much danger of communism is nothing to tl this s. s This Tills Is a national outrage That these little fellows who ought to have love from someone who ought to ta have a corner in some comfortable place a few books dinner table talk Mom or Dad t trun to torun torun run to in trouble are herded away like cattle is so terrible an indication indication indication indica indica- tion of national irresponsibility that the atom bomb is a harmless tallow tallow tal tal- tal low candle beside it What are arc these mothers and fathers putting in the boys' boys places What domestic luxuries movies comfortable quiet evenings and and dancing compensate for this injustice injustice in tn- justice to their sons and this loss to them Are Arc we American women women women wom- wom wom wom- en so sq unimaginative and so o flaccid that we cannot adjust our lives to tomake tomake tomake make room for our boys Seven hundred boys from broken homes homes' i b 1 a l e J. J wt we went without thing things KEEP TOGETHER ER After visiting seve several al homes homes f for or boys Miss Norris discovered ducov- ducov ered that most o of f the young fellows were there not orphans but unwanted children from broken brok bro en homes In many cases the parents felt that they couldn't manage manage man man- anage an- an age all their children satisfactorily satisfactorily so they sent one or two o of f their boys to a home where they would be less bother Other boys were the s sons ns of divorced parents who did not want the custody o of f them Miss Norris Worris strongly warns that the danger o of f communism communism is insignificant compared to the national outrage o of f casting casting casting cast cast- ing little tots among strangers where they never will ivill receive the love and affection they need so much As an example o of f how a ahome ahome ahome home can be preserved Miss Norris cites her own case Three brothers brothe s and sisters only one of them out o of f the teens supported three younger young young- er children By dint o of f much striving work and sacrifice they managed to keep heep er right here in my neighborhood and for all I know in my state There have been years in my life when we were very poor when three brothers and sisters only one of them out of the teens supported supported sup sup- ported three younger ones We lived in four rooms for tor a while but they were clean rooms and they rang with plans and laughter Old Clothes Fit Well We wore the discarded cloths clothes our friends gave us and congratulated congratulated ourselves that they looked better on us We scrimped we went without things we had no butcher bill for months because we had no meat We suffered of course when a small boy smashed a window or a small girl played hookey I But there never was a I moment moment moment mo mo- ment in all those years when we two older ones could have said to a little sister or brother We are sending you yoo tc the loneliness the the dreary vague hours that no Institution institution institution in in- can spare children We stuck stock together 45 years ago and we are together still What are we made of we Ameri Amen can women that we dont don't dare sa sac sacrifice plan contrive and work to keep our homes and our children together We dont don't know our own power or we would know that if social conditions arent aren't right for us if U Dads Dad's salary is inadequate and home hours and obligations too heavy to leave room for working hours then we can change the e conditions We dont don't have to beg bee we can dictate even if it it means that shops are open only between 11 and 4 every day or that one mother in a group takes care of all aU small children children children chil- chil dren two days a week and works work four For the s boy boys boys' sake and forsake for Americas America's sake lets let's solve this problem some other way |