| Show This Little Boy May BeKing Be Z W Happy Childhood Will Be BeStif Stifled led z 1 t t 11 dR iF g k 1 M y t p h h'S c S 'S V t ta ta a a u Michael lel who Is Just Ju t S oS and who would get just t a as much fu tumble and tumble larks as any Huck I who looks like any lad IBy I IBy By BRUCE CATTON The throne ot of that Rumania Rumania troubled Balkan kingdom that gained world prominence because It has haa a pretty queen queen-Js queen Is casting Its shadow over a chubby c care care- carefree ree re free Cree little litlo chap named Michael Michael In the ordinary course ot of things thines would grow row up through a normal boyhood t lie He play In the tho sand go co tramping and swimming and fishing with other boys wear out his clothes get his face I ce and hands grimy play at t being Indians or cow ow cowboys cowboys boys or soldiers or bandits live bandit as an equal In other words In Inthe inthe the great democracy ot of childhood But lint Michaels Michael's father ather Is a young oung moan man roan named Carol Carol until untila a year ago aeo was crown prince of oC RumanIa Then he renounced his title Now ow King 1 Ferdinand lich l nels nel's Grandfather is dying Mich l Michael ael from rom present indications h Is likely to be the next king kinc ot of Rumania So over Michaels Michael's Michael bo boyhood hood a gray cold cohl shadow rises TO STIFLE DESIRE A prince who Is about to be- be become be come a king kine cant can't be a boy like other boys boya lie He II has bas to be b surrounded sur sur- surrounded rounded with bodyguards with tutors and governesses governesses and other unsympathetic grownups whose duty It is to stifle every ordin ordin- ordinary ordinary ary cry normal boyish Impulse and desire and to make mako him a wor wor- worried Tied ried long long faced man before his time h as a sunny unspoiled smile n n out of boyish games and rough rough- rough inn i nn 0 or Tom Sawyer that ever lived a middle class American Home So It will be with little Mich Mich- Michael Michael ael who is just five I and who has a sunny unspoiled smile Michael 1 who would get Bet just lust as much fun Cun out of ot boyish boish games and tumble and larks as any Finn or Tom Sawyer that ever e lived Michael who looks like any lad in a n middle middle- middle clans class American home with his chubby knees and his plump red cheeks and his Ms bash bashful Cui smile That's what's waiting tor for Mich Michad ael ael ad lIes lIe's going oine to to- to lose his boy boyhood hood so that ho he can sit ou on the thronG throne of ot Rumania and when lie he grows old enough to understand it become a part of ot the th sordid scheming intrigue of ot Balkan pol 1101 politics al s Hell He'll be a king and wear ear a crown and o ha hao ha e a company or of gaily dressed soldiers rs to precede him whenever he goes roes out Into the city and some day hell he'll mar marry ry IY a princess COl for tor reasons of date and perhaps will under under- understand understand understand stand why why- neither his father nor his grandfather made a happy marriage MAY LOSE H HEAD AD Yes Michael will be a king Hell He'll learn loarn In time that the king king- kingdom kingdom kingdom dom for tor which v his boyhood was sacrificed much ot of a king king- kingdom kingdom kingdom dom that it is only a sort ot of inconsiderable pawn h Ic in the political cal game game came ot of Europe but that for all its insignificance it is packed full ull of ot racial and amI political hat hat- hatreds hatreds reds that some day may blow him loose loose irom from his throne and cost him his head That's the prospect which faces this old the that 5 year old year boyhood now is his and that ought to be bobis his for or years yeara to come to be b trad trad- traded traded ed all unknown to him hint by his country's statesmen for tor a tinsel tinsel- tinselled tinsel led led throne How would you like tor for YOUR boy it If you are lucky enough to havo one to he be b confronting such sucha a sorry sorry future |
