The San Francisco call., 1904-12-25

tIf and the question is, Is il
IL worth while and are the re
wish for?
country lassie writes me her par
ents are willing 10 send her here 20
school, but that IL viii be great
hardship 10 them il she accepts their
kindly ofer- Her wardrobe is made
custe anc both her father and mother
VIII have 10 sacrifice a good many lux
urles and comforts 10 iii her trunk
With the pretty frills and furbelows
That are considered essential for city
NE Knowing all this she asks. What
would you doe"
Without thinking a moment one
would De very apt 10 say stay at
home but which OF the two evils
would inhict the sharper pain. All
the little comforts would be passed BY
cheerfully and plainingly and
there would be a certain air Of sat
1sfaction permearing the ranchhOuse.
because daughter was having city ad-
Vantages." On the other hand il
daughter felt the sacrifice too great
ana refused 10 profit by IL the eternal
regret and constant reminders that
she had not made the most Of her op-
1ortuniues might be a bug-bear that
would grow until il would soon be too
large 70 comfortably house.
Education IS undoubtedly q good
llsS, but i think sometimes the
costs are TOO great and that more mis-
cry and uuhappiness are the fruits Of
d thau anything else. Certainly i
would be a mistaken kindness to send
fhis Eirl 10 school and college and
.tlel expect her 10 be content with the
humcrum lie Of farm or a small
village Il simply won't work and 1
scarcely see who could expect il 20.
once she has lived in a college town
asl breaLhed lIs atmosphere for a
number OF yelrs-in short. has lived
me happy life Of a sIUdent-she is out
of sympathy with her old surround
ilgs and Try as hard as she may. can
never III into her OLD niche with the
same degree OF comfort
Il tsr that she doesn't care exactly.
b-t she Is out - tune with everybody
and everything What has Interested
her fCr years Is Ike 50 much Greek 10
the home folks and she is not in the
least interested over Bri-dle's new calf
cor the tact that the iTrigatng water is
getting low So gradually il dswns on
the Gear old dad that all his efforts
have been ln vain. that lis many sac
rllces have counted for worse than
naught- Instead Of making his pet
OauElt1r happier and a source OF pride
20 himself. he has only succeeded in
ereCring q barrier between them and in
converting contentment into the very
essence Of woes.
So when educaticn IS bought al such
price as chat. Goes il really pay2 It's
WoerLl position 10 be between two
fires and not know which way 10 turn.
Nine and ninety times it's back 10 the
farm and the other one q career of
some kind or a happy marriage. In
either event the alienation takes place
but the one is the kind that makes all
worth while.
II isn't 50 much the sacrifices that
count as Il is the after results. Nearly
every father and mother give Up some
trife daily and co il without z seconds
thought In fact il Is rather a habit
they have fallen into and they never
stop - wonder whether il is appreci-
ared or rot.
Where is the mother who would not
sit up half the night sewing on a gown
that her daughter might appear at her
best al z reception the next day2 And
II the ezcheQuer is TOO low TO permit
new material and the old is too far
gone TO reconstruct, she heaves a tiny
sigh OF regret and marches 10 the old
fashioned chest and brings forth some
~ her cherished wedding finery AS
she handles the lavender-scented fabric
she smiles wistfully now and then as
. rhe DasL Is recalled. but she seWs
bravely CT. and even puts the last lin
rering touches and pats 10 II as she
steps aside and watches her daughter
trip away with a light thank you,
mother OF z careless nod, that is
meant 10 convey n little Of everything
and rot much Of anything.
Is that sacrifice appreciated? Not
very often. i am sorry 70 say. Rather
ii is taken quite as a matter Of course
and as nothing more than her natural
cue What on earth does mother
want 10 hoard al her pretty things
f0r2 she is too old 10 need them any
more. and, besides, she never goes any
place"
That may be true. but the reason of
o her sticking at home ike 4 burr is
never inquired into. excepting once IN
an age, when her presence is needed or
particularly desired. You never have
anything 20 wear Why don't you get
q decent coat and cover your gown"
And the plaintive answer that you
needed new dress for the Smith-Jones
ball' brings forth nothing more re-
spOnsive than a disjointed series OF
sn0rts.
Ribbons. shoes hats. IN short. any
thing IS promptly and readily unearth-
ed and passed over 10 the dictatorial
one when she is putting on her war
paint and preparing 70 90 10 battle with
all her sails set She may have been
told a dozen and one times that her
gloves needed cleaning" or that her
-petticoat had torn bit OF lace" but
~ the mad rush 10 have a good time
she trusted 10 luck that somebody
would do II for her. and besides there
was always the opportunity OF bor-
rowing.
Does mother ever refuse 20 aid the
cause2 Instead Of standing up and de-
claring that she had wasted her breath
giving warning and that Mary Ann
could 60 without. she brings forth her
own spOtless gloves or freshly laun-
dered skirt and finds to her disnnav
couple OF DAYS later on that she is
destitute Of nearly everything. and un-
less she lives near town she Is obliged
20 stay al home and twist her thumbs
the live-ionE afternoon. instead OF find
ing out how other mothers manage
their daughters