The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-06
Euening Chat
False Shame.
BY RUTH CAMERON.

Among the heroines L have known
belongs a girl who once worked in
a house where 1 boarded.
She was a very Woodworking girl
She earned every cent of her wages
twice over, if the average maid be
taken as a basis OF comparison; ana
how do you think she spent those
hard-earned dollars?
One-half of her money every week
went to support her father and-not
her mother-but q stepmother, mar
ried against her wishes and at time
when the father was unable to fully
support himself
Her sister who was also a house
keeper, gave up the same proportion
of her wages.
Are the father and stepmother
properly grateful, you may wonder?
The stepmorher is, but the father Is
not. On the contrary. And thereby
hangs my tale.
asked Margaret one day why she
did not buy hat which she tolds me
she admired
ITS such a cold winter she an
swered; and it costs so much to heat
a house"
Il don't see why that should bother
you,'' 1 said.
And then she told me (she had
never mentioned her sacrifice before)
about her father and stepmother.
And this winter" she explained, has
them extra money for wood"
expressed my sympathy. She
sighed a little. Il don't like to be
complaining" she said; but if father
only would bestir himself a little, he
could get plenty of wood. They're
tearing down an old schoolhouse and
building a new one right near him and
they let the people who want to come
and pick up wood"
"And why doesn't he get some?
Ops
Goodness, yes; he's strong and
healthy, but he's too proud. He
wouldn't want people to see him
carrying home that wood"
1 could hardly believe my ears. Too
proud! Not too proud to take half
his daughters earnings every week,
year in and year out, but too proud to
go and help provide for himself when
opportunity offered. Y
Being ashamed of the wrong things
is a leak in character efficiency.
Shame is a big force when you are
ashamed of the right things. To be
ashamed of the wrong things is to mis-
direct it and make it worse than futile
Ashamed of Being Useful.
The daughter of an acquaintance
of mine, a girl who had never done
anything more strenuous before thar
help her mother direct the maid, took
a business position recently. She is
engaged to be married, and probably
wanted to earn some extra money Tor
her trousseau. But instead of advanc-
ing that simple explanation, her
mother puts it this way: Margaret
is doing a little work in town this
winter. She simply couldn't stand the
wind out here another winter. You
know we live on a hill where it's fear
fully windy, and it makes her so ner-
vous."
Evidently these two were ashamed
of the fact that, for the first time in
her life, the girl was making herself
really useful. They had never been
ashamed of the fact that she had been
a parasite, an extra burden for an
overworked father. Oh, no, the thing
they were ashamed of was that she
was at last doing some honest work.
Religious feeling, tenderness toward
ones loved ones, work, especially the
honest kind done with the hands,
chivalry toward the women, scholastic
success, these are examples of the
kind of things many of US are
ashamed of.
A mans admirations are his goal.
! Conversely what he is ashamed of he
shuns. Learn to be ashamed of the
right things if you want to arrive at
the worthwhile goals.-( Protected by
The Adams NewSpa per SerVice)