The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-02
EUening Chat
BY RUTH CAMERON.

oAAteGkbOE HUH q OCHIJCAAG-0 1OOtus
A letter friend sends me a newspa-
per clipping telling Of two cases re-
Gently brought before the court in her
town. One was that of an aged father
OF eight children who was obliged to
go to court to make them support
him. The other was the case Of an
invalid mother, whose three sons had
previously been ordered by the court
to support her; two of them had fallen
behind in their payments. The Judge
gave them their choice Of paying reg
ularly or going to Jail.
My reader friend comments:
The inclosed clipping from yester-
days paper prompted me to address
you these few lines. Why not make
mention of such things in your space
know two cases as bad an the ones
sent you. One q devoted mother with
one daughter INDUCED and pampered
to womanhood. and when she has a
home of her own tells her mother to
get to h out of here
Another one whose husband died
and left a little home and insurance
and four married children. They gave
her no rest until she turned her all
over to them, she to live with them
alternately. III treatment made hel
leave them all and now she has one
rented room and does washing for
her support.
where does the trouble lie? Are
the parents to blame or the children
Cannot something be done to remedy
such conditiops?"
AS I read these four instances can
quite understand the meaning OF the
phrase my blood boils.''
Can't you?
We have all ragged over King Lear's
sufferings and here is the tragedy OF
the old King being daily enacted about
us. stripped of its majesty, to be sure,
but retaining all its pitifulness.
Cant something be done about 1t %
says my letter friend.
| OF cours 1t can.
In the first place. through the law.
az In the cases which the newspaper
clipping set forth.
| But there are many instances in
which the law. for various reasons.
cannot or will not be invoked. What
can be done about such cases? Well,
it seems to me that for them a power
| mightier than the law should be used
the power Of public opinion.
The neighbors and friends Of people
who do such things Il suppose they
must have friends. although 1t seems
difficult to believe) should show theil
dtsapproval. Such people should be
ostracfzed by decent folks; they should
be Stunned AZ II they had committed
some serious crime. al indeed they
have.
| My letter friend also says, Are the
parents to blame or the children -
In her own Letter she partially answers
this, for she tells Of a girl ''pampered
to womanhood'' who turned on her
mother. Where there il a selfish
ungrateful child, there are usually
parents who have permitted these
qualities to develop. do not mean BY
this to excuse the children. No indui-
gence. NO lack Of discipline. in short
no condition of bringing up or heredfty
can In any way excuse such conduct
as this. 1t can only partially explain It
Just one word more, q word OF
warning. In your Indignation against
such people. don't forget to look In
ward into your own life. You would
be incapable OF letting your father ol
mother want for material things, but
remember. things are not the whole
Of life. There are many old folks who
have plenty of material comforts. but
| who are starving for attention and
consideration and love. Be very sur
before you become Indignant tha1
there are none such In your life o1
home.