Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-10-31
Life'sProblerns
Are Discussed
By MRS. WILSON WOODROW

By MRS. WILSON WOODROW
l should like to write a series of
articles on The Difficulties of Being
Young" The sorrows and disappoint-
ments of youth are so poignant, it's
rebellions are so intense. its convic-
tions so strongly held. 1t has yet to
learn the wisdom of compromise, the
necessity of tolerance, the mitigations
of time.
And older people almost universally
isnore or belittle youthful woes. To
them youth in itself is so wonderful,
so beautiful, so full of opportunities
that it is impossible for them to see
why girls and boys should ever
clamor or bewail their lot
Youth will be served but not al
ways as much as it deserves. 1t
needs sympathy and understanding,
and it doesn't always get good meas
ure in these respects.
] was talking to girl this summer,
who said: My mother and 1 simply
don't understand each other and
never will. We look at everything in
life from a different angle. We have
nothing in common. That isn't
mothers fault; she thinks as they
did in her day, and I'm thinking as
we do in mine. That is all there is
to it."
DO you believe that is quite so?"
| asked. You were speaking a mo-
ment ago of the two writer's, one a
man and the other a woman, who
most stimulated your intellect and
imagination. The man is considera-
bly, older than your father; the wom
an is at least ten years older than
your mother. And yet you of the
younger generation find yourself per-
fectly in accord with their ideas and
views.
'Tt is not the differences of age
that count. Those can easily be
bridged by understanding, if the
older generation has held the flexible
and open mind and has kept it's ideas
subject to change, modification or eX-
pansion."
oh" she burst out bitterly, "I
have perfectly clear ideas of what
I want to do; but l am constantly
thwarted and opposed, and the only
reason given is L am older than you
and know what is best for you.
Mother will not recognize that we
are quite different in temperament.
1T takes her days to make a decision
about anything; l make mine in a
minute. She likes to have everything
done for her; l want to arrange
things myself and put them through" !"
Suppose" 1 said, that you go to
your mother and frankly say, cant
we sit down and discuss this thing
like two reasonable human beings,
with no tears and no emotionalism,
but in a perfectly plain, straightfor-
ward way as il we were discussing
sCme ones else affairs? Won't you
try at least to see my side? And I'll
honestly try to see yours"
She replied: That sort of talk
might have some effect on a brick
vail, but not on Mother"
And there came that expression on
her face that I notice on the faces
Of many girls when they are in the
family circle-that shut-in, repressed
Il ok which should have no place on
their young features.
Some one said to me few
days ago: isn't it too bad about
May -? She was so pretty
and bright when she was at college,
and now she is almost an invalid.
Her father and mother have done
everything for her. taken her to
Florida and California, and have
given her everything that heart could
desire. And the worst of it is, that
the doctors say it is merely some
nervous or imaginary affection. moth
ing very real"
The doctors had failed to diagnose
the case correctly. All that girl
needed to restore her health was
something to do. Her father was an
extremely clever and restless man,
the sort of person who could organize
and manage dozen big interests at