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Show American Fathers Held Neglectful of Duties American children, particularly boys, develop unevenly these modern days because they do not get enough attention atten-tion from their fathers. The modern boy lacks a fair opportunity because the average father, preoccupied with business, denies him the adult masculine mascu-line companionship he needs. Once a little boy on a farm trotted about at his daddy's heels as he plowed ; today elaborate farm machinery machin-ery does the work and there Is no place for the boy. Once the town child followed his daddy about on evenings as he mowed the lawn, worked the garden or looked after his horse; but today the father hurries off to the golf links and the child must find other oth-er amusement. Once the family had three meals together, but now the father fa-ther generally breakfasts alone and lunches at a club or restaurant, so that the opportunity for table Intimacy Is reduced two-thirds. Once for the evenings, there was a family reading table and games, but today daddy Is off to his club, or to a meeting, or to Improve his form, or his technique, or his mind. The frivolous find frivolity and the serious-minded find extension courses until there is no time for the deeper Joys of leisurely family companionship. com-panionship. Do American fathers realize that the tie between father and son Is the most unbreakable tie possible to mortals? That unless this tie Is forged of work and play together, of many little experiences ex-periences In common, the father's life may In the end be blessed with only the dry husks of his fatherhood its worry and responsibility? Anna Shannon Shan-non Monroe In Good Housekeeping. |