Norwich bulletin., 1915-02-06
MtDJE.'

Whether or not you possess daugh-
 ter or a grand daughter, l feel sure
 every Corner reader cannot help be-
 ing interested in the case of this young
 girl I am about to tell of.
 Just because it is not her name, we'll
 call her Aidje.
 Midje's father died when she was
 two years old, leaving Midje in the
 two step-brothers and a couple of
 step-sisters, together with less than a
 dozen dignifed aunts and uncles, who
 straightway took it upon their shoul-
 ders to bring up Midje.' We'll to make a short story a little
 shorter, they made a complete failure
 of bringing up'' the fatherless NIidje.
 Her mother never could get a grip
 on the girl after she was ten. Now she is eighteen and, ridiculous IS 1t may sound, Midje has fully outgrown her mother and more than half of all the interested relatives as well. She and her mother live together in a modest little fiat which rent is paid by the own brother who. while work ing to win laureIs for himself, is for getful that his sister needs an ad- wiser.
 During the Christmas vacation Midje decided she'd quit high school 1 this being her third year. Her mother remonsrated but as usual, Midje won out. She wants to go to wori-at what she hasn't made up her mind. Of one thing only is she convinced, she needs no more book knowledge.
 Several months ago a retired clergy man employed AIidje as a copyist and proof reader. He has since expressed a desire to put her through some school, but Midje declined. The benevolent clergyman's inter est in Midje continues and is mani fested by numerous costly gifts. He has taken the same fatheFly interest in several young women, helping them through school and later into profit able and responsible positions. The retired clergyman has passed stone, is unmarried without kith or kin. He seems perfectly sincere, but,
 oh the relatives.
 Together they have arisen and in
 one voice they denoUnce Aiidje as a.
 bad girl'' and her mother as being "out of her mind' to allow Adidje to
 accept gifts from the clergyman. Whenever a relative meets Midje in the city, or in any other place, Aidje is forced to listen to lecture on what young lady's behavior should be. Now these same relatives, who ap-
 pear to be trying to reform AIidje and her mother never visit them in l their little home. Some of them are yet all their help comes in the form of ''nagging lectures" while it could come in many other ways. The question is What would you do if Midje belonged to you, if she was your daughter, your sister or your very dear friend?''
 Midje loves to be amused and to amuse; she has had pretty much her oWn way for ten years, a good many privileges because her mother was too
 busy, or too unrnotherly, to take, an interest in MidJe,s goings and com l ings, or in the friends she made; hence Midje's mind has unatured beyond her years through no fault of her own. To conclude-about three months ago she became acquainted with a young widoWer, who recently proposed l marrige.
 What could possibly turn a young sirfs head more than to have attain l ed the age of eighteen with a probable husband in view, a benevolent clergy
 man at her beclzoning; a lot of seem | ingly envious relatives nagging her
 at every turn, and a mother who is no
 more of a companion and adviser than | her dead father.
 For the benefit of the "doubters." I
 will add that the above described