The Washington herald., 1914-12-12

about another kind of agony, none the less real
because it finds its causes and its effects chiefly
in the mind
l refer to the agony of those parents who see
their children growing up and adopting ideas op-
posed to the ideas they love and cherish, ideas
that they believe be not only wrong but harmful.
So far as am aware no one has brought
out in literature the full pognancy of the clash
between the generations. l suppose it has always
gone on. But, somehow, in period of history
has it ever seemed marked it is now, so
violent.
In so many families the old religious ideas are
giving way. Meanwhile, many of the fathers and
mothers that cherish these ideals try pass them
on to their children. To their dismay the children
shake their heads and turn elsewhere, to gods the
parents believe to be false gods
When we hear of such cases some OF us are
tempted to blame the parents for interfering for
trying to impose on their children what we call
old-fashioned notions.
OF course, the old-fashioned believers, through
their very zeal, have brought great deal OF dis
credit on themselves. Not only have they tried
to impose their ideals on their children but they
have fought among themselves in the very OF
religion They have expressed vast amount OF
ill-feeng.
We often apply to them very harsh names
Nowadays when they assert themselves, they
occasionally do, we speak as if what they say were
ridiculous or outrageous.
During the past few years have been a good
deal associated with people wholly out OF sym
pathy with the old orthodox ideals. These ideals
they have sometimes secuted and they have been
particularly resentful against the spirit that so
many of the old-fashoned idealists show the spirit
of intolerance.
Meanwhile, they have valiantly Haunted their
own beliefs. They have spoken as il those beliefs
the most important things in the world, as if
there were no arguing against them, possible
disagreement Often l have heard them express
wrath at the indifference of those who paid no at
tenton to such beliefs who actually tried to op
pose such beliefs.
And in listening to them ! have been amazed
by the resemblance between them and the very
people they arc so bitter against. II | were in
another room and did not know who was speak
ing l might imagine from the sound of the voices,
from the tones, that is, from the feeling beneath
the words, that the old religious zealots were
speaking.
Only the other day man who is we'll known
as a radical and whose wife shares his opinions,
said to me: eve very much distressed about
our children. Now that they are growing up to
have opinions OF their own. they are showing al
strange lack OF sympathy with our opinions. They
are accepting the conventional opinions that they
hear among the young people of their own age"
l saw that he in great distress of mind |
He couldn't understand how his children, brought
up in the atmosphere OF liberal thought, could be-
come rcactionary.
Then was reminded of the orthodox mothers
and fathers OF the world. They concerned
exactly this concerned They thought !
their children were going wrong just this man
thought his children were going wrong.
They longed to control the ideals of their chill
dren exactly as this longed to control the
ideals of his children.
1t the spirit of interference all over again.
The only difference that in the case of the
orthodox parents there concern for their chill
dren both in this world and in the next
Ny radical friend was concerned for his chill |
dren only in this world. To him this world was
everything
Il.