The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-17
A Way
People Have


did you ever notice." said the OBJ
serving girl. that whom people are
married their duty to their relatives
ceases instantly, while every ones
duty to them 10 Immediately increased
ten fold?"
II can't say that l ever did," an
swered the placid girl. who accepts
the world ~ she finds It But what
made you think Of It just now"
"Oh, met Bertha Stone today.
You know she had been planning on
this summer vacation for whole year
to carry out . special project. When
l asked her about It she told me that
Just ~ she was ready to 60 her sis
ter.s children were both taken sick
and she devoted the entire two weeks
to helping care for them"
II suppose she thought 1t was her
duty" interposed the placid girl.
gently.
But when Bertha was sick last win.
ter It was no ones duty to take care
Of her and she had to go to the hos
pital," argued the observing girl. 'The
worst Of the present case is that az
soon as the children were well her
sister left them in care Of an aunt
while she went to the country for q
rest and Bertha came back to the Of
fee all tired out to work another
year."
That was hard" agreed the placid
girl, alphabetically,
Then there was Doris Thompson
who kept house for her brother Jack
It was dreadfully hard for Doris to
work downtown all day and take care
Of the fiat, too. But she insisted that
both she and Jack NEEDED home, al.
though we all knew she did 1t more
for Jacks sake than her own. When
Jack was married she fully expected
to make her home with them, but
they gave her to understand that mar
ried people were much better on by
themselves. However, they suddenly
changed their minds when the twins
arrived. and then It Immediately be
came Doris duty to live with them
II remember how sorry we all fell
for Mrs Robinson when Alice mar
ried. She was the only child and had
been her mothers constant com
panion. They had always declared
they would never be separated, but
that when Alice married she would
live with them in the big house. Blu,
she welded a poor man and decided
in favor Of love in cottage. Hell
mother and father declared she wal
quite right and fought down theiI
loneliness as best they could. But
when she had three children to take
care Of and could not AFFORD . mait
Alice came to the conclusion that |,
was a shame for mother to be alone II
that big house. and accordingly moved
her family over.
There also was Aunt Janet Long
who brought up family Of nieces and
nephews. Not because she was abb,
to do so financially. but because a
she had no husband or children al
the relatives considered It her duty t
do 80 and she. poor weak soul, CAV,
up her life to the task. Now they'r,
all married and. Of course. could no
think Of having their home invaded
by an old maid aunt who has ways.
30 she lives alone. But whenever Their,
are sick headaches. extra work or ba
bies Aunt Janet ia sent for post hast,
nnd never fails to respond.
you remember that spoiled girl
Nellie Mayne. who In all her III,
never thought of doing an unselfisi
act for anyone Because she was pref
ty and insisted on being petted an,
having her own way she always ha,
the best Of everything at home an,
her brothers and sisters all had I,
give up to her They expected grea
things Of her and were heartbrokeI
when she ran away and married
good-for-nothing young scamp who ha,
nothing to recommend him but hand
some face. Ncw they have Above,
themselves the luxury of a large fam
lily Of babies that they cannot support
! and II becof,es everyone's imperativ,
! duty to help them out.
"Of course pursued the observinl
| girl"I am fully aware that Marie,
people are much better OF BY them
selves. At the same time 1t seems
bit one-sided and rather unfair to thei
II