Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

the child had had all by himself during themother's illness.We quote the following from the mother'sletter:"... John hasn't had any complaints, only measleswhich he had last December, they lasted aweek, but nothing else whatever, he has alwayseaten well and slept well, when John was 8months old his daddy was called up for the Army,up tillhe was two years of age there was just Johnand I on our own so of course he had his freedom,was allowed to play in the garden, etc and was ahappy, carefree little boy, but last year we decidedto go to Yorkshire to his daddy for a while, I wasonly there quite a short time when I had an haemorraghe,of course it came quite a shock to me whenI learned what was wrong as I had felt so well,I never had the slightest suspicion of it or I shouldnot have gone all those miles from home to leave mybaby at the mercy of strangers, however, I went intothe Sanatorium in December 1940 and the womanwho we were staying with said she would take careof John during the time she had him his daddy usedto go to see him and he said it got on his nervesto hear her keep saying to the child, "Don't dothis and don't do that" and as time wore on henoticedJohn was being cowled down and when hisdaddy took him sweets he would give them to thislady and sit there and wait for her to give him one,he was never allowed to play out in the garden andwhen his father went on Sunday mornings to takehim out she always made the excuse that he was notbathed, and then on evenings she would put himto bed just before his dad arrived, this went on for 6145