The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-28


/ de- not lain to be a lovely char
acter nor do /. on the other hano
plead guilty to- a vicious temper But
sometimes meet some very estima-
BILE women whom 1 would like TO
shake and can't help being little bit
sorry that IL is against both civil and
social law to snake 'em. The woman
I want to shake just now is one OF
my best friends. and I'm trying 10 IN
duce her husband TO do the shaking
for the good Of her motherly con-
science.
whats getting into our boys. now
adays 2" she asked me the other day.
( laying aside a newspaper containing
an article By a certain clever woman
who makes trouble and money by
writing advice for other people They
are losing all their instincts of gallan-
try. My boy is paragon in all but
one respect. He viii neglect his social
duties. He works hard, is getting
ahead even faster than his father dld,
and / may say modestly that his IA
Their is an exceptional man. But John
has to be fairly dragged out to an en-
tertainment by a young woman OF our
set. He goes to dances and dinner
parties reluctantly, pays his party calls
unWillingly, helps to entertain the
young women only when absolutely
necessary. and pays no attention what
soever either to my reproofs or TO the
gossip among the young ladies. which
is TO the effect that he could be
social figure if he did not prefer to be
a stick. / have heard him plead
business engagement to escape some
social affair that other men would
jump at, and / have seen him bury
himself in a book at the very hour
when his presence was desired. What
the matter with John and the other
fellows like him 20
Nothing is the matter with John.
little mother, except that he's forced
to be a fibber and has a mother who's
trying her best to make butterfly
out of a wheel horse. The matter Is
with the mother and the girls Of her
set. 1 know their John and good
many others like him. I know that
John is about as good as gold and that
when his mother or any other woman
needs him he'll not be found wanting.
He's gallant, but he's no carpet knight
He can talk sense with any woman
upon any occasion, but he's not master
of those airy nothings which form the
sum total of the conversation of the
people with whom his mother assoc
ciates. John is business man and he
knows a little of art and music and lit
erature, together with the usages OF
polite society, for which he is not al
ways given credit.
The trouble with Johns mother
and there are too many women Of her
kind in the worlds that what she
calls society is to her the most inn
portant thing on earth and she can't
get Johns viewpoint John is cary
ing out career and he's working like
ness. if he would. but he is too much .
the son OF his father to be willing ~
inherit his parents wealth and let "
go at that. John can't drop busines4
to attend Weekend house parties1
When he comes home from the office
he's tired and he doesn't care to shine
socially six nights week. Those
books that he buries himself I'm are a
sort of a graduate course I'm his .
business. and his competitors see the .
point if his mother doesn't. John
would enjoy giving one or two nights
a week to social diversions. but he can
not keep the pace with other men or
his age who do nothing else. Neither
can he dance attendance upon girls.
who have nothing to do but wait for
evening and the opera and who viii
spoil the music, which John really APP
preciates, with frequent intersections j
of marshmallow conversation.
John is the salt of the earth. and
the candy flavor of the society TO .
which his mother would condemn him
only leaves a bad taste in his mouth.
When he marries the woman OF his
choice will be some sensible little body
with a fair share Of the social graces n
and a good deal of common sense.
Don't blame John for a seeming lack
Of gallantry. Blame the girls who
can neither do nor say things that viii
interest a man with horse sense.
Blame the mothers who train the girls.
and be crucified for your treason. It's
a martyrdom worth while. The mod
aru young man is like his father. who
was just as gallant AS his women folk
would permit him to be. But IT he Is
any good. he is carrying heavy re-
sponsibilities and his mother should be
thankful that she brought forth n
worker and not a drone-( Copyright
1911. by W. r. Williams.)