Science and City Suburbs 



" Look at those little chaps, how keen, alert, and 

 independent, but their imagination is dwarfed or 

 their games would be otherwise." 



" What is that game ? " 



" Marble gambling." 



"And this one which the girls seem to be 

 enjoying ? " 



"That is school, with an exaggerated use of 

 the stick." 



" And that what can it be ? " 



" Ah ! no wonder you are puzzled. That is father 

 coming home drunk and abusing mother. Some- 

 times the actors play it through, to mother's appa- 

 rent injury, but on other occasions the next- 

 door neighbour is called in to interfere, or the 

 imaginary policeman summoned." 



" But when that game is translated into bigger 

 girls' fun it is perhaps most tragic. This is how 

 the game was played at a club the other night : 



"'This/ said two big girls, 'is me and my 

 lover ' and they walked about the room with 

 entwined arms and clasped waists, illustrating 

 many vulgar endearments. That ended, 'This,' 

 they said, 'is me and my 'usband/ and they 

 played a man roughly demanding service of the 

 woman. 'And now/ they continued, 'this is 

 father and mother/ and they commenced an 

 imaginary fight, with screams and oaths. Oh ! 

 the pity of it ! the horror of it in grim practice ! 

 the disgrace of it when treated as a game to 

 amuse the young ! " 



In imagination let us transplant those children 

 65 E 



