The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-12
A Way
People Have

Did you ever notice." said the OBJ
serving girl, that when people are
married their duty to their relatives
ceases instantly, while every ones
duty to them II Immediately increased
ten fold?"
Il can't say that I ever did," an
swered the placid girl. who accepts
the world as she finds 1t. But what
made you think Of 1t Just now?"
"Oh. met Bertha Stone today.
You know she had been planning on
this summer vacation for whole year
to carry out q special project. When
asked her about 1t she told me that
just as 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 1t was no ones duty to take care
Of her and she had to 90 to the hos
pital." argued the observing girl. THE
worst Of the present case is that az
soon as the children were we'll 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.
flee 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 - al
though we all knew she did bore
for Jacks sake than her owiHDWhen
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 of by
themselves. However, they suddenly
changed their minds when the twins
arrived. and then 1t Immediately be-
came Doris duty to live with them
Il remember how sorry we all felt
for Mrs. Robinson when Alice mar
rfed. 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. But
she welded poor man and decided
In favor Of love In cottage. Her
mother and father declared she was
quite right and fought down their
loneliness as best they could But
when she had three children to take
care Of and could not afford q maid
Alice came to the conclusion that II
was a shame for mother to be alone IN
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 able
to do 80 financially. but because q
she had no; husband or children oil
the relatives considered It her duty to
do 20 and'she.' poor weak soul. gave
up her life 10 the task. Now they're
all marriedeand. Of course. could not
think Of having their homo invaded
by an old maid aunt who has ways.
go ahe lives alone. But whenever there
are sick headaches. extra work or ba-
bies Aunt Janet Is sent for post haste
and never fails to respond.
you remember that spoiled girl,
/ Nellie Mayne, who in all her life
never thought of doing an unselfish
act for anyone Because she was pref.
ty and insisted, ON being petted and
having her own way she always had
the best of everything at home and
her brothers and sisters all had to
give up to her. They expected great
things Of her and were heartbroken
when she ran away and married a
good-for-nothing young scamp who had
nothing to recommend him but hand.
some face. New they have allowed
themselves the luxury of q large fam.
lily Of babies that they cannot support,
and II becomes everyone's imperative
duty to help them out
"Of course" pursued the observing
girrI am fully aware that married
people are much better on BY them
selves. At the same time It seems q
bit one-sided and rather unfair to their
relatives to let II be known that since
they have each other everyone else ID
an outsider and must expect nothing
from them. bot ~ soon as they need
asaisrsnce their people must fall over
one another to be the FIRST on the
spot"
What is to be done about it," the
placid one inquired.
Nothing at ALL" and the observing