Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-28
LIFE'S@ PROBLEMS "
ARE DISCUSSED.
By MRS. WILSON WOODROW

My dear girl, there's only one
course to take in such matters, and
that is to wait until he is thorough
ly reformed, and his reform proven.
Then marry him, if you still wish to
do, so, II you put reform before
marriage your chances for happiness
are a fthousandfold' increased. Wom-
en- are capable of; n number of rash
actions; but high in the list of fem
mime blunders stands the crowning
folly of marrying a man to reform
him.
If you possess the influence over
him that you feel you do use it now.
Let him show you. not by the test
of few weeks, or a few months,
but by several years, whether his
reformation is lasting and genuine.
In no other way can you prove the
truth of his protestations.
That, you may exclaim, is a ter
rible test! Certainly it is, but it
is the penalty he must pay for hav-
ing acquired a destructive habit,
or for suffering from an unfortun-
ate ffliction-whichever way you
look at it But no matter what you
call it, it incurs a penalty. And you,
too, must pay the penalty for having
had the MISFORTUNE to love a man
who is thus afflicted.
No doubt he argues and you are
convinced that in your own little
apartment away from the old asso-
Citations and companions, he could
begin life over again, secure from
| former temptations.
Neither of you has yet realized
that we can't escape anything by
changing our environment. The
| change must take place within us.
You. being woman, are looking
forward with pleasure to a home of
your own. Are you quite sure that
you are willing to turn this dear,
fresh, bright home of yours into a
combination of private sanitarium
and a police station? There is no
other such strain on the nerves as
living with some one whom you have
In measure to police and on whim
you must ever keep the guarding
eye.
doesn't make very much diff
ference what you are doing in life
| If you want to attain any degree of
proficiency in it you've got to puz-
zle it out alone. If you are learn
Ing to swim, for instance, you will
never really get any confidence in
yourself as long as you have belt
around you attached to your instruc-
tor. Neither will you inspire con-
fidence in your swimming prowess in
any one else. You've got to strike
out boldly for yourself, test your
own powers and acquire new ones.
This Is life lesson that your suitor
has not learned.
In his efforts to free himself from
this distressing trouble he needs the
| love and the sympathy of those
about him. He should have their
unchanging belief in his ability to
rid himself of this habit which is
running his life. He should not be
in the atmosphere of negation and
doubt.
Are you prepared always to pre-
serve this atmosphere? You say that
you love him devotedly, but in such
cases love is not enough. Are you
capable of the unwearying patience,
the unshakable courage which you
and he will both require? Are you
proof against the disheartenment,
not to speak of the disgust that you
will certainly feel from time to time.
IL you are, you are not only a very
exceptional woman, but a very rare
and remarkable human being.
You say that you are strong and
well, and have a cheerful outlook on
life. Then. why are you, a construc-
tive, positive character, dreaming
of linking your life with the de-
structive and negative forces? Your
health and strength and cheerful
outlook and strong character were
given to you for better uses than to
throw them away on a Quixotic ex-
pertinent.