NOW, WILLIE--

"Times are not what they used to be," said the venerable Hammurabi about 1900 B. C. And the older generation has kept on saying it to the present day. But more than ordinary truth is contained in their charge that the golden age when children were seen and not heard is past. On every side Young Precocious rises up to stand upon his rights. Strangely pertinent now is the outburst of Shakespeare against the children actors of his time that "these are now the fashion, and so be-rattle the common stages . . . that many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills, and dare scarce come hither."

Hardly a week goes by without adding a new name to the galaxy sprung up to dazzle the world. One lad who gets his college degree at the age of fourteen sparkles for a moment in the public eye. Then the spotlight falls upon a ten-year old lightning calculator. For an instant a boy of twelve who in two months learns German and enough French to carry on conversation holds the stage. But his glory pales beside a youth who has just mastered his fifteenth language, and that Hebrew. Boy chess champions, "little Sampson" Otts, Jackle Coogans, Baby Peggys, infant prodigies no end--

Prior to the dawn of this age Hercules held the world's record for infantile achievement. Since his day, however, standards are higher. His vulgar strangling act was but the rude and distant precursor of a Children's Crusade in all the arts.

But the sage shakes his head and is not to be hustled along by their piping chorus. He sees that their pink cherub forms:

". . . are no other than a moving row Of Magic Shadow-shapes that come--and go."