Show I 1 Kathleen Norris Says I War r Times Are re No o Fun FIUL Bell Ben Syndicate Syndicate Features i i r rI I f cJ r t r. r r i I i ivy vy a C f DOUS Mary Belle doesn't know the kids around here as hell as she did in the old street and she goes around with a pretty tough crowd croud after school By KATHLEEN NORRIS u T S THERE a family in this Is I country that hasn't been blown into pieces by this war writes Miriam from an Oklahoma city We were a solid family two years ago now now there never seems to be e a regular regular regular regu regu- lar meal in our house or or a clean towel or an answered telephone Once it was only Pop who worked and we all went to him for money Now everyone has hasa a job except my sister MaryBelle MaryBelle Mary- Mary MaryBelle Belle who is 14 and yet we have less comfort and less home homel l life e than before 1 Pop was an ice-box ice salesman salesman salesman sales sales- man the letter goes on He made around a month and Mom managed us all wonderful- wonderful ly Jy But when the war started l Pop went right into defense work I I am 17 and am paid a little littlemore littlemore littlemore more than 45 a week in a machine shop but the surprise is Mom who worried so about my brother Jim being drafted that the doctor told her to get a job and now she makes much more than all of us put together to to- gether even gether even counting Jim who sends her half hall his lieutenants lieutenant's pay every month Well Mom found a chicken farm years ago that she wanted to buy and now she is buying it and weve we've moved in Its It's three miles from 1 town in in the hills with an an orchard and some woods were we're all crazy about it But were we're so dead tired and so dirty all the time we we cant can't enjoy it much And AId the real trouble is Mary Belle who is just running wild I dont don't care if she sees this weve we've all talked ourselves hoarse to her She's affectionate and she's awfully pretty but she doesn't know the kids around here as she did in inthe inthe inthe the old street and she goes round with a pretty tough crowd after school Mother Wont Won't Stay Home ome Pop and I think Mom ought to stay home and run us all as she did before keep an eye on Mary-Belle Mary entertain her friends here as she always does But Mom seems wedded wedded wedded wed wed- ded to her overalls and her lunch lunchbox lunchbox lunchbox box she tells us that Jimmy is sacrificing sacrificing sacrificing sac sac- everything and that we can canall canall canall all do something that's needed to help the boys and shorten the warI warI war I eel get home early finishes Miriam's Miriam's Miriam's Miri Miri- ams am's letter and get dinner Mom wakes up has her bath comes out and rind cats about five Pop is home just as Mom goes off oft and Mary-Belle Mary straggles in whenever she feels like it Its It's getting us its all nervous this way of doing and knowing you ou must have had this problem to solve many times before before before be be- fore I write you and ask your ad ad- vice a mothers mother's pl place ce in her I home taking care of her children Its It's all very well to have a lovely spacious old farmhouse instead of ofa a room four-room flat with your brother sleeping in t the e room dining-room but if we arent aren't getting any fun out o of it I is it worth while Mom is 43 Pop PopI I is is' 63 Miriam there is more than one I consideration involved here It is true that thousands of American mothers now working in factories s sor or plants are sacrificing their small childrens children's welfare by taking jobs Domestic agencies and boards allover allover all allover over the country are attempting to todeal todeal deal case by case with this situa situa- tion But I am not sure that your mother should give up her job lob and go back to housekeeping Mothers Mother's Big Chance For one thing she is buying a ahome ahome ahome home a very important element in inthe inthe inthe the lives of all of you For another J she is evidently conspicuously ef- ef i J. J J I if her salary exceeds a month She has been drudging along raising three children educating educating I ing them keeping them comfortable even including hospitality in her plan for them But all the time she has been capable of this business suc suc- cess Now comes her chance to earn money to buy the house of her dreams to save It seems to me that it is Pop Mary Belle and yourself who are not operating co-operating fully In any case your I mother could exert over Mary-Belle Mary only the fond anxious watching of a a I somewhat helpless parent She can can only say feebly as all of us who are arc parents do Where were you I Idear Idear dear Arent Aren't you acting foolishly I Are you telling me the whole truth I But you are close to Mary-Belle Mary in years and the influence of a sister is one of the strongest our lives ever know Couldn't you and MaryBelle Mary 1 i I Belle enter into a conspiracy to help I Mom buy the house strengthen her I i bond investments and insure that future toward which she perhaps is looking anxiously Your father is is' I old he will have great difficulty in inI i n I i I getting any employment at all after the war Isn't it possible that Mom I foresees that and foresees too a comfortable old age on a small chicken ranch with Pop and herself asking little or no aid from yourself and Jim and Mary-Belle Mary up your job lob Take MaryBelle MaryBelle Mary Mary- Belle into your household interests Meet her after school and market with her ask a few friends out t to 0 the farm for week-ends week or for Moms Mom's free day You are evidently a fine level-headed level little person p-erson with none of the lawless temptations that beset Mary Give her the benefit of your own experiences make that new spacious farm house housea a happy home and watch Mom and Pop relax gratefully in the atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmos atmos- phere of order and comfort Many a girl your age was a married woman woman woman wom wom- an with approaching maternal responsibilities responsibilities responsibilities re re- a hundred years ago your grandmother probably married at 16 Take your place in this troubled war time as a useful human human human hu hu- hu- hu man being and put off oft until after the war the frocks and hair-dos hair that your salary is paying for today Mary-Belle Mary is affectionate you can draw her very close to you What her big sister does probably already ady I seems important in her eyes Womans Woman's Skill Needed Now Your mother is doing a magnificent magnificent magnificent cent job It is a job that needs skill quick thought secrecy strength Not many men and very few women have been trusted in this particular line It is of inestimable inestimable ines ines- service to the country Our men overseas must not only be kept generously supplied with exactly what your mother is making but bu t they must know that fresh supplies s ts in limitless quantities are on their r way To have your mother report t that as the head of a department she is is resigning is is to pull pullout out on one e precious s indispensable dog cog og in a an n enormous machine j I i. i 1 |