Show Kathleen athleen Norris Say Says Being Good Is I s Sometimes Sometimes' Being Dull Bell men Syndicate Service l t tr A 1 r 4 I tt o p i I IU jj i l J N sr y When a mother of young daughters makes no no effort to help them socially ignores their longings for parties and companions is out of sympathy with their inexperienced efforts to make their home a pleasant place in which to gather their friends she is as much to blame as if in babyhood she had left them for days without rc tout care By KATHLEEN KATH EEN NORRIS HE problem of the decent de de- decent decent THE cent girl who at the time is same young pretty and eager for life and companionship is a complicated complicated c ted one Girls who want to retain their high ideals of self-control self to preserve preserve pr s their standards of purity and dig dig- dignity dignity dignity have a hard time That Thatis is some do Others have mothers and fathers who remember that once they were young them them- selves They encourage en ou age entertainments from the time the girls are in grammar school They build about them a ring of young friends they cure shy shyness shyness i ness and awkwardness by all sorts of encouraging and unsuspected ed devices and their girls go nat nat- naturally naturally naturally from a gay and hospitable home to gay and hospitable h homes of their own But all parents arent aren't like that And it is to the other mothers and fathers that Im I'm directing this arti arti- article article article cle rather than to the girl who wrote me the poignant letter that Im I'm presently going to quote to Mother Up when w ne a moaner or 01 young tens makes no effort to help them socially ignores their longings for lor parties partie and companions is out of sympathy with their inexperienced efforts to make their home a pleas pleas- pleasant ant place in which to gather gather their friends and at the same time harsh harsh- harshly ly forbids their going about at night with the fast little crowd that fre fre- frequents frequents frequents night clubs roadhouses questionable dance halls and coarse variety shows she is as much to blame as ns if in babyhood she had left them for days without care or in childhood had refused to have them instructed in the three Rs Every mother of girls ought to ask herself hersell just what she Is doing to prepare them to meet their asso asso- associates associates associates on even terms How free are your girls to say to any chance at at- attractive attractive young man they may meet like you to come in to supper on Sunday We always have hav-e supper and dance or play games How free are they to bring young young men to the house bouse with the idea that if Dad likes them and Mother likes ikes them then new friendships are aren In n the making Is your house a alouse ahouse ahouse house louse where hamburger sandwiches and chocolate bars and hot coffee and pencils p. p and tablets and Vic Vic- trola records arc are part of the Sunday night program or do your girls giggle gig gig- giggle gle and apologize and fall into silent embarrassment and vainly search the he ice box when the new young man mann manin manin in n town bashfully calls Hildas Hilda's family incompletely Completely spoil spoil- spoiling ing ng her life This This' Is part of Hildas Hilda's letter She couldn couldn't t possibly be your daughter could she sh t Hilda's Hildas Problem Dear Mrs Norris N. N she says I Iam l lam am nm one of five daughters We are 27 27 11 25 21 17 and 13 years old Im I'm he the 25 Were We're none of us look bad lag ing ng the oldest and the youngest are blondes the thc rest of us dark My fattier father is a chemist he has never gotten over the sorrow Borrow of losing my only brother the tha fifth child who died ns as s a baby bab of three 12 years ago a o. o My M ather father women he rarely FUN AT IT HOME i Kathleen Norris feels it ii is u lamentable lament lament- lamentable able when a young oung girl is denied the use we of 0 o her own home to entertain friends and have hate a good time She says it is a mothers mother's duty to give Kitle her daughter a happy home so that they may later hove have h te gay and hospitable homes of oJ their own Miss Norris suggests that parents help their daughters make their home a pleas pleas' pleasant leas leas- ri L ant ant place to entertain their friends speaks to us listens listen's at the table as if he were under pressure and spends ends all his evenings in his lab lab- oratory With my mother we are six women The house is full of dresses hats powder hair brushes We make beds sweep halls wash dishes plan meals cook together t. t Of course we gossip and of course course little things are Important to us weddings babies illnesses scan scan- dais Our friends are all women Girls come In and sit with Mother in the kitchen We have never had a party parry par my rny father not permitting it He always says that we ought to find enough amusement among ourselves To tell you the truth the one thing we would dread above I Ibe all others would be necessity of having a party We know so many girls and hardly any boys at all To have 30 girls arrive and 7 men would be too horrible I My mother Is an angel but she is too gentle endures too much and andis andIs andis is far from well Father Forbids Change My older sister Alma lma and I have been school teachers for five and three years Now Alma has been offered the of ofa ofa ofa a high school in a town miles away We have a car her salary would be ample for us both and f she wants me to go with her My father and mother flatly forbid it At least my father does and Mother says you must obey Pa Alma has accepted for January first But if we go we go against bitterness and threats and against the tears of three little sisters who S say Now NOTHING will happen if you two arc are gone gonel Mother says she needs me to give her her alcohol rubs and cook her special food But But Grace who t is strong 17 and much at home could do that What shall we do Weve We've always always' been nice even though the girls who go a n very different path seem to have all the fun But theres there's never nev nev- cr er been any question of any one of us doing anything wild or wrong If It Alma and I go away It'll be as gentlewomen My father lather needn't worry about that But shall we go My answer answer Is Go II And it would be go if you two were the only girls of the family Get away from that stifling atmosphere Set up your own little establishment Make a few lew friends make them slowly and carefully and when you feel ready for it begin with Informal little sup sup- suppers suppers pers and be ready with pencil games The smartest folk lolk I know never attempt to get through an eve eve- evening evening ning without some casual plan for entertainment Keep a. a a pleasant easy conversation going grow con con- confident confident confident and natural In manner be- be because be be- because because cause everything you attempt is nat natural at- at ural and simple After a while when you and Alma are happily engaged send for the next Dext girl In line and then the one after that and ami so gradually Uy do for yourselves what a selfish cold father and a weak mother haven't been able to do for you J- J i |