The Washington herald., 1916-03-17

Our sympathies have all been reused
many times by pictures and magazine
articles depicting the hard lot OF the lit
tie mothers" on the lower east side in
New York city. Small girls tugging heavy
babies their little bodies drawn down and
out Of shape by the weight OF children
only a year or two younger than them
selves, perhaps, have seemed to call to us
to rush to their resCue-tO tighten their
burden so that they, too, might have
some Of the normal child life. time to
play, freedom to run and hop and skip
as every light-hearted young thing ought
to do. The lot of the children Of the
poor is hard. and We might well consider
ways and means to tighten It. But are
there not mothers among our own friends
who are making little mothers" of their
own elder daughters?
How can you suggest such a thing?
The very idea I think hear some of
you reproach me thus. OF course, peo-
pie in our rank in life do not impose on
our little girls In that way
am not so sure we do not, unthought-
eddy, dear mothers, sometimes shove our
responsibilities on to the young shoulders,
believing because the little ones make no
complaint that they do not feel the bur
den we have laid upon them.
A woman of my acquaintance came to
see me some time ago and said she
wanted to have a talk with me. She is
probably IS years old and she has never
married. Her story affected me deeply.
because I felt. as she does, that she was
never given a chance in life.
II was the oldest OF five children" she
said land after the birth of her second
child my mother simply laid everything
on me. took care OF the younger chill
dren. washed their faces in the mornings,
heard their lessons, saw that they were
not tsrdy at school, did everything, in
fact. that a mother should have done.
Mother .lapsed into a state of semi-in-
validism and thought she could not do
anything about the house. And she didn't,
except TO have babies,
LAS 1 grew older, 1 felt that I ought
to do something to earn money, for our
means were not unlimited. and so took
the examination and found a place to
teach school in our little town. I wanted
to go to college. but mother said could
not be spared-I was needed at home to
help after school hours. Then l tried to
put by little money out of my slim
salary each month-it was only thirty
five dollars a month that was paid-so
that could take a trip once in a while,
but as sure as I got fifty or seventy-five
dollars ahead I was asked to lend II for
some pressing need at home: lend II,
mind you. but no loan was ever paid
back to me,
so many things happened! First, my
second sister was married and my loan
was used to buy her wedding clothes;
than the brother had to have fifty dol
lars to meet some extra expenses at
college, and gave that. When father
died IT was my money that paid the
funeral expenses-I could save quite
goodly sums after ALL you see, because
I did not pay board at home and there
were few temptations to extravaganza in
our small town. Now mother is dead
and think ought to be released, don't
you? But my brother wants me to lend
him the 800 1 have in bank now-he says
it will mean the success of his whole
business career II he can just get this
little money to tide him over a crisis
now, but II seems to me that my time
ought to come some time, don't you.
Aunt Chatty? ! cont want TO let him
have my money"
I looked into her candid face and I
felt that she had done her duty. told
her l thought too much self-s8crifce
made the others selfish and it was due
them, as well as herself to tell them
frankly she intended to live her own life
from this time forth.
Just few days after my talk with this
dear woman 1 had a pitiful little letter