| Show Kathleen Norris Says f Married Children ii yen BeJ afi Syndicate Syndicate Features I 1 J f c 1 u It f oua ut i Why not Mt be engaged f to each ch other for awhile Why not have a year rear without without without with with- out rushing and planning and hurrying breathlessly f to church By KATHLEEN NORRIS HORT engagements are 3 SHORT the fashion in America Exactly why they are considered smart and why a along along along long seems to reflect reflect reflect re re- re- re upon both the girl and her sweetheart it is hard to say Perhaps the implication is that if a marriage does not swiftly follow the announcement announcement announcement announce announce- ment of an engagement the humiliating thought will be that the young couple cant can't afford to get married just now This is often the case of course But our young people are so sensitive sensitive sensitive tive to the opinions of their friends that they go right ahead and get married married and and pay the piper afterward after after- ward In wiser and more ripened societies societies socie socie- societies ties societies not so close to the adventurer adventurer adventurer ad ad- explorer pioneer stage there is such a thing as being en en- This state orate is s not composed of the mere hurried weeks of transition transi transi- t tion ion from maid to wife with the family scrambling through arr arrangements arrange ments merits and the friends hastily selecting selecting selecting se se- se- se gilts gifts It is a recognized experience experience ex ex- experience and a very pleasant one Yet it is one which in our way of doing things cheats a girL Just as too early marriage robs a woman of a rightful time of fun dancing independence and youthful good times with other girls and boys so this dash from engagement Into taro wedlock deprives us as a anaI ana ana- na nation nation na- na tion of one of the legitimate enjoyments enjoyments enjoyments enjoy enjoy- I ments of life lite The instant a girl and boy pledge their love to each other all the older women of the family and group start in with plans forthe forthe for forthe the wedding the date must be immediately Immediately immediately Im im- mediately set Why not be engaged to each other for far a while Why not have a year without rushing and planning and hurrying breathlessly to church Why not friendship and companionship companion companion- s ship hip and happy times together inthe in inthe inthe the recognized dignified status of beIng being beng be be- i ing ng engaged A Joyous Time It would be better so It would be much better for our girls and boys l if they learned in this time tune to control the sex urge that is at the base of all engagements learned what Interests and hopes and amusements they share learned that honeymoon excitement is not the base and substance and entirety entire entire- ty of the relationship between a man and a woman Well whether we can ever make our youngsters realize that or not certain it is that they are paying high today today and and will pay tomorrow and tomorrow tomorrow for for the wild wave of wartime marriages those marriages marriages marriages mar mar- that were entered into after only weeks of acquaintanceship and immediately interrupted by long war partings In most cases there was no real engagement period period pe pe- at all carried along by the first rush of young passion the boy and girl hadn't a moment to spare from wedding plans In the brief brie In in in- Such a girl is Norma a youngster that I ha have hate e loved since she was born She is 18 now she was mar- mar r b 1 fl Wild wave of o wartime marriage marriages NO TIME TO GET ACQUAINTED r During the war thousands of young couples married in great haste This was due to several influences such as the excitement of the tine period the fear o of f many gir girls they might become old maids unless they acted quickly and the yearning yearning yearning yearn yearn- ing o of f young men for some someone one to come home to to Many Manyo o of f these marriages have turned out very well but others are arc heading towards the break breakup Miss Norris blames the very short engagement period for forthe forthe forthe the collapse of so many dreams The young people never really got acquainted before they rushed into matri matri- mony No wonder there is a alot alot alot lot of disillusionment and friction friction fric fric- friction fric- fric tion now that the men have returned Real love must develop develop develop de de- de- de slowly and quietly and this takes time I Tied just a year ago to a boy who was her husband for only seven weeks before he went overseas Norma waited alone for the baby She discovered that a baby is quite a problem the long last weeks of dragging about were hard on Norma Norma Norma Nor Nor- ma and she was innocently surprised surprised sur sur- surprised when she discovered that her infant daughter was exacting tirIng tiring tiring tir- tir ing a heavy responsibility and a constant drag on her freedom Jock Wants French Girl Normas Norma's own mother is a grass widow very pretty and flirtatious at 38 and she doesn't like the role of grandmother in in fact she wont won't accept it She laughs at Normas Norma's troubles and reminds her that the youthful marriage was Normas Norma's own choice Now Jock is 15 home again and he tells Norma that he wants to marry marry marry mar mar- ry a French girl named Rose He is desperately deeply in love this time he cant can't think of anything but the new love Rose-Marie Rose has come to this country and is settled in Reno waiting for Jock Norma is outraged she doesn't know where to turn Jock has only a modest modest modest mod mod- est salary he doesn't make enough to support himself and one woman let alone two women and a child Just now persuaded by friends Jock and Norma and the baby are living with an aunt of hers keeping keep keep- ing the surface smooth and making making mak mak- ing an attempt to renew the old feeling But a cold flaxseed plaster is s not clammier than dead passion especially when a new Infatuation has taken possession of man or wife wile Jock probably sees Norma now as only an obstruction in the radiant path that leads to Rose Marie He Be is writing Rose-Marie Rose of course that any day Norma may give him permission to sue for divorce He has not character enough to put the new love out of his heart and live for his wife and child On her side Norma is completely unfitted to see the situation through with the patience and goodness that must win such a husband In the end They are children who have taken an exciting dream for reality and are now awake |
