The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-27
Copyright, 1897, by the Author.)


The subject Of dutiful daughters is
as old as the hills. but there are a
good many old subjects which need re-
peating for the benefit of growing
generations-jus as the old, old story
of spring IS repeated by the sun to the
earth, century after century, and just
as the waves are forever repeating
the story Of ebb and flow to the shore.
Charming as the American girl is &C
knowledged to be the wide world over,
she is not infrequently a most unduti-
full daughter. I doubt If under any 9TH
er flag which floats to the breeze can
such examples of rudeness to parents
be found as under the starred and
striped emblem of American independ-
dence.
An only daughter of wealthy parents
was indisposed and remained on her
couch until midafternoon, receiving Ole
or two friends meanwhile. She wore
charming silk negligee and presented
/ a pleasing appearance of youth and
sweetness as she sat prOpped up by
white pillows, about which a devoted
mother futtered. But her charms di-
miniShed, indeed quite vanished to my
eyes, when she called out suddenly and
sharply: Mamma, 1 asked you half
an hour ago to bring me my slippers.
wish you wouldn't keep me waiting
So And the devoted mother apollo
gized humbly for her negligence and
| seemed anxious to be forgiven.
If the slippers had been brought and
! applied in a good, old-fashioned man
her, it would have been better for the
daughter than the apology.
Il [ am happy to say that 1 know Of
enc man who was wise enough to alb
ruptly discontinue his attentions to
young lady-a most beautiful creature.
tOo-WhOm he heard speak sharply and
diSreSEectfully to her mother. on sew
eral occasions.
The man was rich, attractive and
| handsome. The girl was poor and anx-
ious to marry we'll. She was young
and beautiful and relatives bestowed
! an education and opportunities of
travel upon her. The man was fasci-
! mated by her grace and charms, but he
was sensible enough to realize that a
girl who was an irritable and rude
daughter would be an irritable and
rude wife. So the courts are saved one
divorce case and the lawyers are cheat
ed Of their fees by this mans timely
good sense.
Of course the fact that a woman is
a mother does not necessarily render
her lOVable, and we cannot be blamed
for not loving the ENJOYABLE. Duty has
nothing to do with ones affections,
though the affections have a great deal
to do with duty. Love cannot be CO.
creed. 1t is governed by spiritual,
mental and physical laws, but not by
blood ties.
Not infrequently we see mothers who
mentally and physically antagonize
61,f thnr ic ,,i4
law as we'll as the law of good taste,
which should compel a daughter to be
respectful and polite to her mother,
even if she cannot give her love or ad-
miratiOn.
1 wish fond mammas would try to
prevent instead of so frequently aiding
the present tendency of yonug boys &c
dependence and effeminacy.
There is nothing in the social atmos-
phere just now to stimulate young men
to much manlinesS of character. Woni-
en- are aggressively independent and
are every day pushing themselves into
places and professions heretofore occu-
pied by men. There is little call for the
chivalric man of old, the provider and
the protector.
1t is not surprising that a race of in
ert and unambitious youths should
spring up who look to wealthy mar
riage as a means Of support
and abet this tendency to be weak and
dependent by early training or lack of
training.
However beautiful may be a little
boys curls, they ought to go when
the first trousers come. Let the little
man realize that feminine locks be-
longed with skirts, and that now he is
attired in masculine garments he must
be manly In every respect. He must
carry the purse and pay car fare when
he goes out with mamma, and he must
ask the conductor to stop the car, or
give such orders to the cOachman as
can be intrusted to his young lips, all
with the idea of impressing upon his
mind as early as possible that he is a
man, and therefore to be depended
upon, and that he must lead and not
be led, take the care not be taken
care of. Demand creates supply, and a
little boy leaned upon in this way from
childhood would, 1 believe, in most
cases take pride in becoming a bulwark
of strength for those dear to him as
he grew older.
One cannot help the feeling that
American motherhood is a good deal of
farce when such conditions exist as
were revealed by the death of Aimee
Smith at the Hotel Victor without a
suspicion in the mind of the mother
What can mothers be thinking about
l wonder, who live under the same
roof with their daughters year in and
year out and yet know less of their
hearts than they know of the mental
moods of Hagar in the wilderness or
Rachael mourning for her children be-
cause they were not
l should think it would be a moth
er'S first pleasure and interest in life
to get on intimate terms with her
daughter, to obtain her confidence, to
lead her to talk of herself and to lay
bare her heart to one whose natural
duty it should be to show sympathy
and to give counsel. Where these close
relations exist with mothers and
daughters 1 do not believe it is pos
sible for a girl to become entangled
in an unfortunate love affair without
the mothers knowledge. Love may go
w here IL 10 ont nd ho