Gentleman & Mug

Two years ago Columbia University psychologists took charge of a brace of identical twin boys the moment they were born to irregularly employed Manhattan parents. As a scientific experiment in deportment development Johnny was to be "conditioned" by special training and exercises whereas Jimmy was to be allowed to grow up naturally. By last winter Dr. Myrtle Byram McGraw had 19-month-old Johnny boldly swimming, diving, climbing, jumping, roller-skating-accomplishments far beyond the ability of untrained Jimmy (TIME, Dec. 25).

Last week Dr. McGraw concluded her daily observations of the twins and turned them back to their parents. Their father is Dennis Wood, 40, onetime baseball player, now a grounds keeper at the Yankee Stadium. Mrs. Wood, 33, was once a telephone operator. The Woods, with five older children, live in a four-room apartment. In their turbulent, normal society "conditioned" Johnny and "unconditioned" Jimmy last week started to demonstrate what stuff they are made of.

Johnny fears nothing, does everything he is told. At home he shinnied up the brace of the kitchen sink and turned on the faucet to lap a drink. He jumped off the ice box into his father's arms. He crawled up on one of the gratings which guard every window of the Wood apartment and almost fell to the sidewalk. He poked his head through the cover of the radio loud speaker. At the small table where he eats with Jimmy he showed adequate table manners, dunked his bread in his soup, smiled easily at company.

Jimmy tore his bread to crumbs which he scooped from the tablecloth and dumped into his soup. While Johnny postured for company Jimmy reached across the table and ate up all Johnny's soup. "Stop that, Jimmy," cried Father Wood. Jimmy stopped, then surreptitiously kicked Johnny on the shins under the table. Explained Father Wood: "Johnny's a gentleman, but Jimmy's a mug." Added Mother Wood, wearily: "Jimmy's much more bossy. When he wants something he'll go get it."

To demonstrate, Jimmy the Mug tried to eat a cigaret. He yelled for a drink of beer, turned on the gas jets of the kitchen stove, refused to jump off the icebox. Doctors who will doubtless follow the Woods twins for many a year hope to have this question answered: Will the present differences between Johnny and Jimmy persist as they go through kindergarten, school and workaday life? There has been no scientific evidence one way or another. Professor Frederick Tilney, Dr. McGraw's supervisor in the experiment, last week doubted that Johnny's present advantage would last long.

Whatever the outcome, "it's been wonderful for me," sighed Mrs. Wood, contemplating the everlasting antics of her twins. "My next oldest child was only 3 when they were born. I couldn't wait in the morning until the nurse would call for them. . . .Johnny! Get off the table! . . . Jimmy! Shame on you! Come to the bathroom! . . . Oh! . . ."

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