| Show I Kathleen Norris Says b Girls r s and an Alcohol Dont Don't on t 1 Mix ix I i I IBell Bell Syndicate Features i V t L 21 jr I N I I tt c Thousands of bars saloons saloom and roadhouses have laave sprung into existence everywhere every where and they arc are frequented by women women women-women women of oJ all ages Idle elderly women idle young wives schoolgirls By KATHLEEN NORRIS FIFTY years ago any man manIT IT F FIFTY who had said that women and girls dont don't belong in saloons saloons saloons sa sa- sa- sa loons would have been laughed I at His observation would have I been so ridiculously superfluous as to be absurd Fifty years ago only the lowest and most unfortunate unfortunate unfortunate un un- un- un fortunate type of women frequented frequented frequented fre fre- bars and the great mass of womankind only recognized recognized recognized I the existence of such I places by their dislike and condemnation condemnation con con- of them Today all that is changed Today scores of decent men and women are obliged to recognize the fact that thousands of bars and saloons and roadhouses have sprung into existence existence existence exist exist- i ence everywhere and that they are frequented by women women women-women women of all ages Idle elderly women idle young I wives schoolgirls In our own quiet I college community two school girls of 14 were picked up in a bar the theother theother I Iother other day just as they were about to leave with two completely unknown un un- un- un I known men for a good time in the city 30 miles away In both cases the mothers expressed horror at the danger to which these girls had exposed exposed exposed ex ex- ex- ex posed themselves but both mothers also took the thc attitude but what can you do It would be a great and lasting t h V D t o V n V h d if s nine o v merican u u woman the decent element of the population population population tion was driven to legislation on this point and women as a sex and without discrimination were were to be forbidden to frequent bars But if things continue as they are going now or rather grow worse as they are rapidly growing worse the public public public pub pub- lic will certainly take this step in sheer self Bars have never never never nev nev- er been places to respect but when patronized by men alone they did have their standards of behavior Some of them rose almost to the dignity of clubs where a hour half-hour of companionship and relaxation made a break at the end of the day But many of today's bars roadside roadside roadside road road- side restaurants and saloons maintain maintain maintain main main- tain no code whatsoever In some ups pick are a recognized part of the entertainment to immature married women and undeveloped witted weak-witted young girls and loyalty to home ties absent husbands anxious anxious anxious ious parents are all thrown aside Fidelity to whatever these women have been given of purity honor faith is thrown aside too She Was Vas an Angel My Angela was truly that that that-an an ang angel writes a hea heartbroken n wom wom- vo an irom from a western city She ne is ID 15 1 A widowed mother I carefully in instructed instructed instructed in- in her in the elementary facts of life but hers is one of those natures that seems unable to assimilate assimilate assimilate assim assim- anything that is not simple sweet childish and pure A year ago I placed her in an expensive private school just to avoid the horror horror horror hor hor- that has now fallen upon me although my most agonized fears would not have reached the fullness of this despair Several of the girls girls of good families were in the habit of dropping in at a roadhouse now and then They were not steady customers customers customers cus cus- their visits were always in Oa fl 4 11 I cA 7 J She used to drink lemonade GRAVE PERIL Taverns cocktail lounges roadhouses road road- houses houses every place where every people people people peo peo- o of f all sorts sorts mingle mingle and drink intoxicating liquor liquor liquor-is is unwholesome some and dangerous for adolescent adolescent adolescent cent girls Mature women can protect themselves from men nien seeking pickups but teen-age teen girls eager for excitement are in ingrave ingrave ingrave grave peril Angela a sweet and pretty child o of f 15 accompanied some of her companions from an exclusive exclusive exclusive ex ex- school to a roadhouse Here the girls met some sonic men with whom they were slightly ac ac- ac- ac One man nian suggested that they all go to the studio o of f fone one o of f his friends Everyone agreed and soon Angela found herself in the midst of a wild wild- party Angelas Angela's mother writes My child was destroyed body and soul All hope o of f an honorable normal womans woman's life is gone She Size is scarred for life the manner of escapades always on the sly Once or twice without telling telling telling tell tell- ing me me Angela went with them Until Until Until Un Un- til the last terrible occasion she drank lemonades and only looked on in fascinated disgust at what took place Then one afternoon it was proposed by several men they had picked up to go on to someone's studio Angela accompanied them She does not know after that what she ate or drank or what went on until the frightened girls telephoned me at about ten I had supposed supposed supposed sup sup- posed Angela was with my sister and her cousins My child was destroyed body and mind and soul The men had done only what the girls by their actions and their presence presen e in such a place had invited them to do but in each case all hopes of an honorable normal womans woman's life were gone Family doctors are discreet and an epidemic of scarlet fever made a timely explanation but we three mothers know and our girls know that they are scarred for life Angela from being as lighthearted lightheart- lightheart ed as a humming-bird humming is silent shamed bewildered Love romance wifehood and motherhood are words whose mere mention fills her with repulsion Oh yes we could perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps have identified these men had them arrested Our girls are only 15 But no mother will do that bitter bitter bitter bit bit- ter as may be her thirst for re re- re- re Mn No nn no mother will do rn n that A An n d 1 l g-l th thi A Angelas Angela's mother s may h have e this s cons consolation con con- consolation if misery really does love company Thousands of other mothers moth moth- ers are hiding secrets like hers Scores of girls will have to remember remember remember ber all their lives the degrading moments moments moments mo mo- mo- mo ments that opened their eyes to the ugliness of life Memories of coarse talk low companionship humiliating ing liberties dont don't make a good background for that development into wise and dignified womanhood happy wife and motherhood to which every girl aspires STAY IN HIGH SCHOOL SCHOOLA A drop of in high school enrollment since the war highlights the importance of encouraging and urging teen-age teen children to return to their schools for education and preparation for future worth-while worth work Many of the jobs held by high school children are nonessential Better time part-time school and part- part time work programs should be developed developed developed de de- de- de by communities to draw these children back to their schools and to preparation for constructive work which is also educational |
