The Washington herald., 1909-08-18
WOODWARD & LOthrop.
SOME EXPLODED THEORIES

In childhood the thing most impressed
upon my mind by grown people was
the fact that I was seeing the best time
OF my life, writes Kate I. Morrison in the
New Idea Magazine. With heavy signs
the elderly relatives remarked that we
children little knew the duties and re-
sponsibiliues OF the life before US. They
gave us the impression that there was
nothing in life worth having after child
hood has passed. Indeed, many OF the
good ladies actually rejoiced when told OF
the death Of a child. AS they rejolced
over the little ones escape by dying
early from the sin and sickness and un-
happiness Of this world. our dim under
Standings wondered why there was ever
rejoicing over the new baby In any
home.
Those well-meanlng people committed
a crime in thus poisoning our minds for
the pleasures Of childhood are nothing
compared with the Joys OF adult life, OF
a healthy. normal grown-up existence.
Childhood and youth have their own
pleasures. but there IS nothing IN the
limited existence OF a child to compare
with the full liberty and Joy OF manhood
and womanhood.
The next bubble that burst for me was
the old idea that n girl is happier when
she Is engaged to be married than at any
other time in her life. It's no such thing,
and I can prove It. The woman who says
her short period OF engagement. or long
one. either. was the happiest time Of her
life. COnfesses that her marriage is a total
failure.
The love OF a young girl for a young
man is very beautiful. but nothing to the
love that steadily grows and Increases
through a happy married life Pity the
woman who looks TO the past FOR her
ideal dream Of happiness. Hers is a
barren existence, no matter what her
advantages in the way OF wealth and
position. The only love worthy the name
is that which expands and increases as
the days and years go by. and which is
great enough 10 cover the defects in
both husband and wife
Along about this time some other dis
coveries loomed up 20 explode the theo-
ries taught in my youth and held 20 be
absolutely true. One Of these was that
rich people. all but rare exceptions, are
selfish and grasping and unhappy and
dishonest, while the poor have all the
virtues.
In all these stories had read the poor
people in the little cottage we're always
happy. while the rich were wretched.
But when common sense taught me to
look at life instead Of stories I found
that being poor is not patent right on
happiness. nor being rich on misery.
Half the trouble in the world between
capital and labor comes from the wrong
impressions given the children of the
rich and poor regarding each other. and
which e often takes a lifetime to eradi-
cate.
or course I don't know during the
period of my enga cement that there were
far happier days in store for me. because
everybody said that was the happiest
time. Meanwhile another dogma alb
soroed me. Everybody preached TO me
that early marriages were the only safe
ones, since after men and women were
set In their ways. they were running a
fearful risk TO marry.
A long career in business life had put
marriage off until the thirtisth year. and
wise folks shook their heads ominously
Ihe Idea OF woman expecting 10 live IN
peace with a man when she had man.
aged her own affairs for years! It was
preposterousi
Looking back 20 that anxious time I
feel ashamed to think that I had no more
sense than TO believe such nonsense. I