Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-15
WRITES ABOUT
GIRL WHODRINkS
a Habit Easily Avoided, Yet
One That Invariably Leads
to Disgrace
BY Beatrice Fairfax.

OF nail the shoe was lost, for want
OF shoe the horse was lost. for want
OF horse the rider was lost" and
the philosophy of that applies all
I through life to every first little false
step, however trifling.
So it is with the subject | am CON
sidering to-day-a subject suggested
by very interesting letter given here
in part:
I am an Interested third party in
discussion going on between two
very dear friends of mine. A, who
is twenty, and B, who is eighteen.
both went to a house party where
they served wine and cocktails. 4
refused absolutely to touch drop.
while at first refused but after
much persuasion drank one glass of
wine and one cocktail.
when they met the next day, A
upbraided B for drinking, while B
defended herself by saying that she
only did it for fear of offending her
hostess and of making herself con-
spicuous as \ did, for \ was the only
one of all present who refused. B
further went on to say that she would
never dream of doing it at any pub
lie place, but seeing that they were
all friends at a friends home she
saw no harm in it. 4, however, in
sisted that B had done an unwise
thing and would not be convinced
otherwise.
The next day B,'who is a charm
ing girl and liked by everybody, came
to me and asked my advice She has
been invited to birthday party by
one of the girls present that day and
as the party is in two weeks she is
at loss to know what to do. She
is afraid that should she refuse to
touch anything they may serve. her
future hostess may feel offended at
her refusal in her home, whereas she
accepted in the other girls home.
She contided to me that that was the
first time she had ever tasted wine
and that she hated the taste of it."
"A took the sane and digniffed
stand and l applGuded her bravery.
The girl who does not yield to per-
suasiOn' is a splendid woman.
There is nothing particularly de-
grading in drinking one glass of wine
and one cocktail in a private home,
but it is the first step toward a very
dangerous situation. Since "B"
drank at the home of a friend she is
likely seriously to offend another
hostess by insisting on taking a tenn
perance attitude at party in her
home. But she had better risk that
offense-instead of her own future!
Suppose she takes step number
two; here is little picture-not at
all exaggerated of the other steps that
must follow;
The Inevitable Steps
In order to avoid hurting the feel
ings of other. good friends, she must
take a drink or two at their house
parties, and then one of the group
entertains in a restaurant and she is
told that she certainly is not "a good
fellow unless she joins in ami has
a little glass there.
Then the men who are in the habit
of seeing her drink when she is one
of group, insist that it is a personal
affront if she refuses to trust them
enough to take a drink when out
alone with them and pretty soon ''B"
finds herself expected to do a little
drinking whenever she goes out for
Il social evening, And each step is
such a tiny one-and follows so in
eyitably on the one before!
The least that can happen is that
she is judged by people who see her
taking liquor in public places to be
rather rowdy and ordinary young
woman
But a far greater danger waits her
than unfavorahle public opinion-she
is all too certain to learn to like
liquor. And although the word
drunkenness is hideously abhorrent
and seems very, very far away from
the girl who takes a drink or two in
n friends home-drunkenne lies
ahead
Medical tests have proven that
drink lowers mental efficiency Social
experience has shown that drink low
ers moral dignity. The girl who gets
the drink habit hurts her brain cells
and puts herself into dangerously
"mellow" frame of mind in which she
will do things which would ordinary
be abhorrent to her. Drink is an in
sidious foe, one no sensible girl
should come to terms with.
If girl has made the blunder of
taking a drink or two in the home
of one friend she can easily rectify it.
At the next party to which she goes
she can quietly say: 'I made a mis-
take by taking anything to drink the
OAllCi AlSnl. / ltdSt uOH urge me
to drink tonight for am determined
not to and an argument won't make
any of us happier. / just don't like
liquor-that's ALL"
Don't Give In to 1t
No preaching, no "holier than
thou attitude is necessary--iust
definite stand on a subject on the
ground that it is a matter of per-
sonal taste.
No hostess insists on your eating
lobster if it is repellent to you. No
hostess has a right to force her guests
to drink if they quietly remark that
they don't like liquor.
How 1t Adds TO the Discord of Life
Feminine vanity ought to lend it
self to the natural stand of dignity.
The woman who drinks generally
looks frowsy and heavy-eyed, and her
mental state is reflected in her ap-
pearance.
beg Of all girls not to start the
drink habit, and If they have started
appeal to them most earnestly to
stop now
Mental inefficiency, moral laxity on
the ethical side-and on the social
side bad reputation, loud-voiced