The Washington herald., 1918-07-08

Among my acquaintance is a dear.
clever, shrewd-eyed old lady who
lives with her maiden daughter.
Martha.
Martha Is capable and energetic
soul, q born manager. whom nature
destined to be the presiding genius
of husband and a large family of
children. Unfortu1 1ately. fate some-
how thwarted tho matrimonial de-
signs of nature. concerning Martha.
and having no one else to manage
except mother she spends all Of her
talentss in that direction upon the
poor lady.
Strangers always say to mother:
my dear Mrs. X, how blessed you
are to have such a good daughter!
I never saw such devotion. Why. she
just simply never lets you out of her
sight, and she seems -, anticipate
your every thought" ~.
And mother smiles an inscrutabie
little smile, and murmurs politely.
"Oh yes, Martha Is the best OF
daughters" but to me she said once
in burst of confidence:
DO you know what am going
to do? One Of these days / intend
to get together all the old fathers
and mothers that I know who have
loving children who are doing their
duty by their parents. and am go-
ing to organize these down-trodden
and oppressed parents into o regular
Fourth of July Independence League
and we are going to make our last
great fight for little BIT Of person.
al liberty.
at present we are groaning un-
der the tyranny of the young. We
are chicken-pecked to death. We
are nagged and bullied by our chill
dren. eoerced into doing those
things that we do not wish to do.
and prevented from doing those
things that we do wish to do, and
there Is no happiness for US
"And It doesn't make II q bit cas-
fer to bear because our tyrants are
loving tyrants. and their interfer-
ence with all of our pleasures and
plans Is done In q purely autruis-
tic spirit and for our own good.
What we old people want is to have
our own way, and, to live out our
own little short span Of days in the
manner that pleases US. and this our
children will not permit us to do.
That Is why I am going to organ
ize q revolt Of parents.
"Oar children don't seem to refiecs
that after you have lived for seventy
years or more you have worked out
the scheme Of life that II most in
accordance with your taste. Neither
do they seem to be able to appreciate
that after having tolled with more or
less success for half a century you
f1r Iah Kite 80 Ind atv-,r Ia
rot he easily broken of, and that to
be happy you must keep busy.
Nor does It appear to dawn upon
them that after having managed your
own affairs satisfactorily, and had
your judgment respected and deferred
to. It is not agreeable to find out
that your own children think you in
capable Of deciding the simplest ques-
ton for yourself, and that you must
be told what to eat, what to drink
and when to go to bed; as II you
were a 3-year-old baby. Even the
humblest worm must turn at the
suggestion that II has become senile.
That is what makes me feel at
times like becoming a prodigal parent
and running away from my admirable
Martha. Martha is, as everybody :ells
me. a perfect daughter, and no doubt
am wicked old woman not to ap-
preciate all that she does for me and
the sacrifices she makes on my be-
half
But the trouble is she overdoes the
doing. and there is no earthly nerd
OF the sacrifices. II were feeble,
bedridden and helpless, I should be
grateful indeed. for her ministrations
but inasmuch as I am well, hearty
and amply able to take care Of my
self. being babied and sick-nur3ed
certainly does get upon my nerves.
IT should really enjoy taking care
Of my own room and doing little things
about the house, but Martha does not
permit me to lift a finger. II I so
much as attempt to straighten a
bureau drawer. Martha takes the job
out Of my hands. and reminds me
thaat I must not overexert myself.
As for the housekeeping, she tells