Show J i I r I r c I s Ai r p M a Once More They and Their Brothers Choose the Poor i k Y Parent Rather Than the One OneT T t t 7 V p 1 i Who Offers Them Wealth 4 a 4 f I t 1 and Social i a t-LL t j jF I F p Position rY Mr YV Sr r 1 pI pIa a n f iJ qi J io r t r t i jr y yu u 3 1 E 14 t i t 1 k kr r L g N t fi b x W Wi i l u a a p q t Z 1 J Jf f r p N r rk k q tiR J r rte t haj r v 8 wy 1 cy f r W 9 X J s W r er 1 p r f i x sN rJ a s ie Arnold Lawson and the four chil dren who say they would rather i J share hare his poverty t than have ave all th the sit advantages es their mother and her he wealthy new husband are re eager to t a give thern MOST unusual drama was en enacted A acted in a Boston court recently L when the smart and wealthy Mrs Mra 1 I Henry Spring Sprint Blake of Beverly Farms asked Judge Raymond to give her four children by a former husband back into her care These youngsters youngster Wt ate the dren of U Ue tte e spectacular financier Thomas ThomasW ThomasW ThomasW W Lawson Law son They are the Misses Vera and Jean and the famous Lawson twins Thomas and Arnold Mrs Blake BlaU is the tho former wife wite of ol Arnold Lason Lan Lav son the finan financier's tiers ciers oldest son A remarkable picture was drawn as the testimony of the four children and their parents spread pread itself upon the court record The picture started the birth of these beloved youngsters in the great manor house of the of Dreamwold grandfather's Dreamwold their grand fathers father's estate The testimony told how these boys and passed their early years ears pampered and idolized in such imaginative ways as only great wealth can conceive for adored grandchildren These children had been taken to Europe with Ith tutors and tutors and gov gov- governesses governesses anda and a small Email army of ot nurse nursemaids maids They had eat sat in a box at the matinee grandfather beside their distinguished grand father And received homage from all the irs of Boston They had learned to ride their thor thoro thor at the tender age when a child rides as though he had been born on 1 1 All the world had been made to bow at the feet of these only Lawson grandchildren and n-lInd n and then bad had come coma the debacle Their parents were divorced Their grandfather ther had bad lost all his money Their father was forced to go to work or or the first time in his hie life And he took the youngsters to live in a little frame house hone beside a 11 railroad track in Milton Mats Poverty pressed hard up up upon on th the once onca pampered Law LII Lawson son grand arand chil children ren Vera the year old year old daughter told the judge that she herself did the tho family washing and that her father and sister and brothers all helped with the ironing and the dusting and the tho cooking and the cleaning In III the last year ear her father had only bought her some underwear under underwear wear and a pair of boots she sho told the th court when questioned by her mother s attorney So the picture was painted of lIpping g poverty cheerfully and y borne Then Mrs Blake took the tho witness a stand She She told the court what she eho wanted to t e give her liar children In tho way of the com corn comforts forts and luxuries to which she thought though t their birth entitled them She loved them the m dearlY It it her tot wrung motherly heart to t o t think of her oldest daughter doing th tho o family washing Her husband at her he r children seconded her Invitation to tho the chile chil children e dren to their hearth and home Silence settled over the courtroom th tho o of the tuna timo when all has been don done e that can be done and end the decision rest rests a 1 With Ith the court Judge called tb the e children before him and said r You have heard your mother tell how ho w much she wants you to lino lI with her 1 In n I c I J n r I i I i The N very mod mod- modest est home which is th- th best the once rich Arnold Lawson i able to supply his family land on the tight right the daughters Jean and Vera who scrub the floors cook the meals and do the washing when they might be living the lives of fashion fashionable able heiresses order that she ma may do for you ou what your father is no longer able to She offers you OU riches jn in n place of your our fathers father's pov- pov poverty pov poverty erty Now the court wants you to ex express press your wishes in m the matter While your v w will not absolutely decide the Issue they will have considerable weight In my decision The four Lawson children stood for a mInute quietly facing the court Then each cach dik respectfully answered Judge ros- ros ros dik one after the other in words almost identical Your honor we wish nish to live on as we weare weare are living now We would rathel rathe rather be poor with our father than rich with Ith our mamma A whole hole courtroom gasped in amaze amazement ment meat Here were ere four children adored by their mother deliberately turning away from her Here were el e four children who had known the fun of automobiles and pretty clothes and all the tho pleasant e things millionaires sons and daughters ha hale e actually electing to remain in m a workingman's shabby house and do the cork ork a workingman's children have to do dowhen doft when hen they might have havo case ease and luxury Mrs Blake looked at her four young oung youngsters eyed dry for a moment and then she husband's rested her head upon her new hus bus bands band's shoulder and softly wept ept At last Judge handed down his decision He refused to give the Lawson children into the luxurious guardianship of their wealthy mother And the rea toa reasons son sand sons he ho gave for Ills his s refusal rondo made his decision amore remarkable one than the courts have heard in a II long time It is 18 probable that the children said Judge Fosdick realize that the life they would lead if in m the rho custody of their mother would be less lees rational less leas sane acne less ices satisfactory to themselves in the ilia thelong long run than the life they ther lead with their father I 1 am convinced that these children naturally prefer the sane Bane though unexciting ing log life with their father to the artificial and moo highly trained life which they would be bo likely to lead cod with Ith their mother if I 1 draw the correct Inferences from from her testimony con can conduct duct and appeal ance and the other ev evi- evi u J rA i J w wi a I t y i r t I Then for the first time the th thi e i questIOn of tho children cam e up They wished to live wit h r r K their mother and she wante anted d rr n r y FY 4 them to but her divorce he had d ty 1 a left her m in the tho angUished po 1 of the fond mother mothe r i i iwho who who line has not the means t to o Fv 4 J t C e provide pro for her babIes 1 1 e Now the court gives me methe m e f a al l a the children but what a e barren victory It is ial How lips v can 1 educated for society soccer y i f l k r and for nothing else sup A- A Aa a C port them without help from from n 5 my husband lily My husband husban d testifies that he makes inks a sal Eal nOA Dreamwold I Iw where Thomas Ul W I Lawson I lived L I before his hi fortune was swept away and where his grandchildren passed their early years dente dence on tho the point at the trial before me I 1 find nothing in this situation which lends leads me to think that a change of cus custody tody Cody would better bettor the tho situation of the children Tho Arnold son Lawson Law sonis is Ii able and docs does provide all that the edit chil children dren then need They might being young bo be haPPier if they were allowed to bring home things their mother gives them to which Mr Lawson son has admitted he ob objected jetted These children were born at a time O when their father had money honey oney and and social standing approved by their mother The father now four forty years old was the spoiled bon ion of his parents then extremely wealthy By his own O admission lie he did little work of a II useful nature until three years ears ago following his hie discharge from the army when he ho had run through the substance inherited from his mother and found his father unable to give hm hint financial a assistance But the Arnold Lawson has become a sober industrious right living member of the community with a Ju just t perspective of life Ide and its relationships Ho He and the four children live livo in m a II com comfortable although Unpretentious single house in an unpretentious and respect respect- respectable respectable ebb able e neighborhood For over a year tho the daughters and the father have attended to the household duties meals ing ing sweeping dusting etc ete The boys bos also have had th their lr regular regular duties around the house I 1 find that the mother sincerely loves these children and believes that their mode of life with their father is not be- be befitting be befitting fitting their birth and possibilities She is evidently a person of great refinement accustomed to immunity from the rougher things of life which command of money can obtain It ii is evident that her pride is hurt by the thought of the way these children are lire now living though her sin sincerity centy is not noti to be doubted in thinking that their welfare and end happiness aro are so so- so so menaced I 1 find no good reason for taking these children from their father and giving them to their mother so as liS much of the petition es na seeks that result is denied Three years ago the tho troubles of the Arnold Lawsons Lawson reached th their their lr climax In Incourt incourt Incourt court Young Mrs Lawson sued her hUbband for divorce and he entered II a counter suit charging her with miscon miscon- misconduct misconduct duct Sho She fought tho the case caso v with Ith all her might and the tho court decided that she eha- eha was innocent Mr Mrs Lawson won the tho di dl divorce vorce on grounds of desertion ary of only 40 n a week No 10 1 i o he help 1 flom him His father while Iule able to t o help will not do anything for my boy bo s sand and girls while they remain with me There is no law in m the land which says a law in father in father m must support his sons son's ufe n and md children So I 1 am forced to give up u uthe p the children because I cannot provide for fo x them She bravely tried to conceal her aching heart and to reconcile her children to tho th e inevitable Your Your father she urged will give you automobiles and cunning little ponies Jomes and many other nice thing s which mother cannot You must try to tobo t tobo o bo be happy deafest deal est eat children Perhaps some somo day you OU can come como back to lie In Ino o 0 with me But Dut these VOl wolds ds held no consolation for tho the Lawson boys and girls With on one ona a they expressed their preference for poverty then just as they did the other day in answer to Judge ques question Lion tion Oh mother dear they cried wo we rather be poor with you iou ou than rich lIch with father Let us stay with you ou plea so let us stay I All this was back in 1921 1021 The years that followed brought changes S swift shift and sweeping s in the lives of Arnold La Lawson son and his father and also in m that of Ar- Ar Arnold's Ar Arnold's nold's former wife Thomas W Lawson lost Jost every dollar q L ri t v vL L w wY wn Y n t d Js The Thed Then n former Mrs Arnold Lawson now now o Henrya Mrs Henry Hen HenryS r y a Spring p r i ng Blake r whose children reo I reface re- fuse face to to return to her now that she has the money o give ive them every luxury of his immense fortune His Dreamwold estate the prIde of Massachusetts went s under the auctioneers auctioneer's hammer The blooded horses the automobiles the sWift yacht acht and nail motorboats everything that had made him tho the most spectacular of millionaires was sacrificed Arnold Lawson had to take a job as automobIle salesman On his salary of 40 a week the best home he could afford vas afford nat as an almost shabby little frame housein house houseIn housein In a modest suburban village The Tha rent rentis rentis is 35 35 a mont month It is a homo home no better than many a day laborer provides for his family r The granddaughters of broken old Tom Lawson lson son learned to scrub the floors cool the meals and do the family washing The boys brought in what money they could by working after school The Law Law- Lawson son Law son family had returned to the shirt shirt es and gingham from which It had lead sprung only a few years 5 cars before to tail swallow tall coats coat and ancl Paris go gowns DB Quite d different but just as marvelous was the tl winch which came over the former Mrs Arnold Lawson After a year ear or so of sh with the unfamiliar millar task of earning her living she married lich Ml nh Henry Spring Blake Blahe of Beverly Deverly Farms and became the mistress o of such wealth and luxury as she sho had known n with her two 1 previous husbands At last she said ld I S can bring my chIldren back bach to me n and provide for them thelna themas a as I have always wanted anted to Ican I can make mahe makeup makeup up to them for tor that heartbreaking part parting ing mg of three years ears ago How fortunate It is that now when poverty po has come to their fa father her I 1 can save them thoro from that just as ho lio sated EMed s cd them poverty with me With high hopes and pleasant expectations Mis Blake made her pall peti tion petition to tho the t court and met as bitter blUer a die dis disappointment appointment as mother love can know To her astonishment her hel boys and girls refu refused ed the many great ad advantages of and social position she offered They pi eler to stick shek by their father no now that he is peor just as liS they ha would woud hate ha liked to cling chug to their mother when heu she wa shewa the one who ho was as the victim of chat misfortune l |