Show kathleen norris says was this the wrong advice bell syndicate features at aandy 01 1 1 b 3 beverly took a a job she saw law every everybody hody and heard all the gossip by DY KATHLEEN NORRIS HE agonizing problem tot THE of martha mcneill was not a new one it is as old as the story of the prince and the beggar maid but in these days the princes position and that of the beggar maid have drawn nearer together than they were the prince in this case was only a handsome and popular young man only son of a rich family and the beggar maid ne never knew what it was to beg she went through grammar grades with the rest of the boys and girls had her movies and chocolate malts and her rides in the family car and tried a year or two of high school but that appeal and beverly took a job in the candy store she saw everybody everybody liked her and she heard all the school and college gossip so she was more in the heart of things than ever or it seemed so however N when hen exclusive little dances and weekends in mountain cabins for winter sports began beverly was out of it ol of course the country club gathered in the young crowd that used to meet in the candy store beverly was left to solace herself with a different group an and had lively fights with her father and mother over late hours drinks petting oil all the usual evils of f reckless girlhood from ahalt point on lewis mc mother takes up the story when our lew got out of the navy last june he happened to meet beverly her name my daughter tells me already had been coupled with that of more than one other man she bewitched lew he must have known what she was but for a few weeks he see anyone else then came awakening and he ended the association but too late there is to be a child and lew admits it may be his who has the rights it if you could know the frenzy of despair and indecision into which this has thrown me the letter went on 1 I know you would help me to do what is right lews three years in the navy interrupted his college work but he since has graduated from the school of chemistry and soon will be his fathers right hand in a large family business there Is no girl in town who would not be flattered by my sons attention why should he throw himself away upon this cheap unscrupulous girl who has been all but promiscuous according to report before this scandal breaks and my son alienates himself from his own group completely will you make me some suggestion any suggestion that will help unfortunately not lew nor his parents not beverly or hers have right of way in this case the baby must be the first consideration for unless we put the unborn generations first unless we make sacrifices so that our children and their children will inherit a better world we have only contributed to the appalling suffering and darkness of this one martha mcneill owed something to her oldest grandchild I 1 suggested she surely did not want the thought of that wronged and defrauded baby to haunt her when later grandchildren came along my advice to martha was an immediate marriage and that the young pair should if possible start their married life in some strange city this they did it was a earn complete failure all ali this was a year ago lack of anything like community of interest ruined it from the start ir a II 11 me 6 right of a fit all sll THE RIGHTS just the form of a marriage just the pretense of a welcome a and nd a home are the right of all babies that is miss norri contention in article as she answers the old but ever present problem concerning the prince and the beggar maid sometimes miss norris continues these forms fill out with real life and love sometimes the baby becomes birac miraculously the little heating beating heart of a real home that is sage advice for the questions question s arising from the actions of reckless youth must be answered i in 13 the terms of the far future not only as they affect the boy and girl involved but also the still unborn baby the prince in this ibis case returned from war finished his college career and prepared to step into his wealthy fathers lucrative business but he be met the beggar maid who really hannever had never begged for anything except the evils of reckless girlhood their association ended with wibb a rude awakening but on miss aliss norris advice they were married a year ago now their baby is dead the girl wants her freedom wants to marry someone else beverly was lonely bored perverse she hated the strange place she missed the constant excia excitement ement the gossip and planning of her old life lew was equally wretched and the small baby lived only a few days now beverly wants her freedom wants to go home wants to marry someone else lew cannot remarry without sacrificing his faith and again breaking his mothers heart for although martha wants temporal happiness for her only son she wants spiritual safety more money cant buy her out of this difficulty time supposedly a factor for beverly is not yet 23 and may live for 50 more healthy years martha writes me again in despair a second time must think of future she blames me tor for my advice she says that it if lew had consented only to a justice ot of the peace wedding and adoption of 0 the baby by strangers he would not now be hobbled by a tie that will forever prevent his marriage with a girl of h his S own faith she says that but for my decision there never would have been a marriage between lew and beverly at all and beverly might have made any arrangements she liked tor for the baby anyway she finished angrily the baby died so all that fuss about his rights was nonsense well I 1 wonder one has to work on deep basic principles in these questions one has to think of the far future perhaps it too good for a boy like lew to feel that the claim of his first born can be brushed aside to make way tor for the beautiful church wedding with bridesmaids and music that his mother plans for him perhaps the sobering reality of motherhood might be the first step toward making a woman of beverly and certainly and no perhaps about it the difference to a little boy or girl is lifelong life long in its effects just the form of a marriage just the pretense of a welcome and a home are the right of all babies sometimes too these forms fill out with real life and love sometimes the baby becomes miraculously the little beating heart of a real home |