Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-06

daughters as we'll as for our sons is
self-reliance. intrepidity and pluck
with efficiency. They can't be little
fluffy chickens-how current slang
does play havoc with ones meta
phors. - standing shivering and
/ shrinking on the bank; they must
plunge boldly into the swim and pad
ale for dear life or be left hopelessly
behind.
OF course. if any mother really
wants to make a coward out of her
laughter. it can no doubt be man
| aged. Hippocrates or some other
father of medicine prescribes. l be-
] lieye, blood-letting behind the ears
for maidens afflicted with a too VEN
| turesome temperament. The intro
duction of a mouse into the patient $
| bed is also to be recommended, or a
| band of thugs might be hired to jump
out at her from dark corners and
shout Boo"
But perhaps the most efficacious
method is simply to follow the plan
Of my correspondent. and shadow the
daughters days with worrying ap-
prehensions and repeated warnings
For there is nothing in all this
world so contagious as tear and pan
ic The alarm of one timid beast
over the cracking OF a twig is able
to stampede a whole drove of cattle
And human beings are quite as sus-
ceptible.
The mother would never write me
TO ask what she should do because
her daughter had shown herself inn
mune from scarlet fever or small
pox, but she is distressed because
the girl obstinately declines to indi-
cate any symptoms of a far more
deadly and tormenting malady.
Parental anxiety is natural
enough. From the time that the
child takes it's first toddling step up
through all the vicssitudes of
adolescence ones heart must be con-
stantly in ones mouth, ones nerves
on edge nevertheless, the wise father
and mother, and the ones whose chill
dren rise up to- call them blessed
are they who repress the impulse to
shield and shelter too much and who.
following the example of the birds,
push the fiedgling out of the nest,
the bantling on the rocks to shift
for itself.
1 would not be understood for a
moment as countenancing an abso-
lutely free hand for a girl of seven
teen. That is the time when she
| most needs a mothers judicious
guidance and direction. Nor would
1 minimize the dangers that beset
/ her. l would explain them and their
| inevitable consequences as clearly
and candidly as 1 would tell child
that if it stuck it's hand into the
flame of a candle it would be burned
But 1 would certainly never try to
infect that girl with the virus OF
fear.
1 would try to realize and to inn
press upon her that the very best
armor in which she could panoply
herself against these perils is an
utter fearlessness of them. The
most vicious dog will never attack
| a person who entertains no fear OF
him, and there is the old story OF
Sir Charles Napier sending a tiger
covering back into the jungle simply
by facing him unafraid and looking
him in the eye.
In the very case at hand my cor
respondent writes that her daugh-
ter fortunately has never had any
| experience to disabuse her mind OF
it's fearlessness." May not that re-
suit be due solely to the girls own
mental attitude? The world gen.
orally meets us in the spirit with
which it is met. The defiant cour-
age of old Barbara Frltchie was
| quickly honored by the dust-browr
ranks she opposed.
Yet, here again I qualify. Reck-
| lessness and bravado is one thing
and so is that ignorance which
rushes blindly into danger; quite
| another thing is that quality which
while recognizing the existence ot
| the terror by night and the arrow
| that flieth by day, also knows that il
| shall not come nigh thee.
OF this character seems to be the
! 17-year-old girl of my letter, calm
ell-possessed of herself, unafraid
! Imagine wanting a splendid, free
creature like that to quake and shiv-
| or and be continually looking ovei
| her shoulder for the bogie man.
All over this country to-day moth
| ers by the thousands are sending
| their sons into certain and definite
| danger. Their hearts are torn will
anxiety, yet not by word or expires
sion would they seek to Undue those
| lads with their own fears and appre,
! tensions. They even feel a justifiabl'
pride in the dauntless courage Of
their boys. They wolud .despise &
| different spirit.
| Why should they wish their daugh.
ters to be less brave and fearless a.
| uonen than their SONS are as man