Dionne Quintuplets

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 124, 19 February 1938, Page 5 (Supplement)

Dionne Quintuplets

New Zealander Visits The Five Famous Little Girls

Tlie Dionne quintuplets have become such important little people that recently a special conference was held at Toronto to discuss their development, upbringing, and future. There were more than 300 people present, including scientists, doctors, psychologists, and nurses from all parts of the United States and Canada. Among them was a New Zealand public health nurse who was visiting Canada and who has recently returned to Wellington. “We were all introduced to Dr. Allan Dafoe, who is n charming man,” she said in an interview. He gave an address on the quintuplets in which be said that, so far as he was concerned, the human side of the babies was the most important one, and that his chief aim was that, they should grow up into happy, healthy, normal little girls. Their Careful Upbringing. In the opinion of the New Zealand nurse, he is achieving his object in a very successful way. He has carefully watched and superintended their diet, seen that they have had the right hours of rest and sleep, and has allowed nothing to interfere with his routine. The results of his care are five attractive little girls, who bring more money to Canada than do the Niagara Falls. “At the conference,” said th© nurse, “addresses were given on the biological study, the physiological development, the mental growth, the language development, and the routine training of the quintuplets. Most interesting results were obtained from studying the finger-prints, footprints, aud ear photographs of these children.”

Their names are Yvonne, Emilie, Annette, Cecile, and Marie. Maple is not quite as well developed as the others, and Emilie is left-handed, but they are so confusingly alike (hat few people who are not well acquainted with them can consistently identify them correctly. The children themselves find no difficulty in distinguishing each other, and they laugh at the mistakes of other people. Their Family Life. The language development of the quintuplets is backward, probably owing to their isolation. They are FrenchCanadians and at present they speak French, but later they will be taught English. So far the only children they have mixed with are their own brothers and sisters, who visit them occasionally. Mr. and Mrs. Dionne, who, with the rest of the family, live quite close to the hospital, are allowed to visit their daughters whenever they wish, provided that they do not interfere with the routine.

The day after the conference the delegates were taken by special train to Callender, lhe home of the Dionnes, 209 miles from Toronto. An observation room has been built, so that visitors can look through screens and watch the babies, who are quite unconscious that anyone is there. When the delegates arrived the children were playing in the garden. They looked very sweet in the “Eskimo” suits that they wear to guard them from the cold of a Canadian winter. They were riding their tricycles round the paths and singing as they went. While the delegates watched Mr. Dionne arrived and there were cries of “Papa, Papa,” as each child was lifted up to be kissed. The children have never been smacked. When they are naughty they are put into an “isolation room.” Here they are allowed to read and play with their toys, but they are left quite alone until they promise to be good. Then they are allowed to mix with the rest of tbeh- little community.

They have one music and two nursery teachers, and there is never a moment when they are not watched over. Close by the hospital Is a police station, and policemen are always on guard to protect the babies from kidnappers. At Christmas time the whole Dionne family had dinner together. Papa Dionne pent to New York and brought back Christmas presents for bis large family. He Ims made quite a lot of money since bis famous daughters were born. He charges a shilling for his autograph, and in other ways earns an income that he devotes to the education of the rest of his children. Visitors to the hospital are encouraged because they are a source of revenue. Along the station at Callender are flv e little milkmaids, cut out in wood, to attract the attention of tourists passing through the village. Pebbles from the garden where the children play and other little souvenirs are given away, and books about them are on sale.

Tho future of the children is 'under the serious consideration of a special committee set: up at the time of the conference. At present they are being taught along kindergarten lines, but later it is hoped to build a village school at which other children will attend, so that gradually the little girls will mix with the outside world