The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-22
RESPONSIBILITY MAKES MAN A
~ GLOOM; A WOMAN JUST SMILES

H uAOOHuS n NNhEAAN OCDA- PN III
Men who attain high position in life as heads OF vast or
CARNATIONS and direct the energies of thousands of workers are
accustomed to being pointed out to the stranger because of the
heavy burden OF responsibility resting on their shoulders.
Then, too, man being a vain creature, hearing what the multi
tudc is saying about him. is likely to become stopped and round
s~houldered by constant effort to carry out the popular concep-
ton OF the weight OF responsibility bearing down upon him; and
lie assumes an air OF preoccupaton, looking neither to right nor
left, and when the people clamor for a friendly nod OF greeting
he withholds it because he esteems his salutations according to
the valuation placed upon them by others,
Impressed with his importance such a man will cndeavor TO
carry out the idea people have OF him by the cut OF his coat, the
height OF his collar. the shape OF his hat and the color OF his tie
his hair will be cut appropriately and his demeanor will be solemn
and profound. He would not smile publicly as he values his
reputation, which is greatly. y
AS the people marvel at his responsibilities there will per-
haps pass a demure little woman, bright and cheerful, and the
crowd will take no notice OF her passing And the little woman
with the shawl thrown around her shoulders-obscured by the
man with the tall hat, an ascot tie and a diamond horseshoe pin
K she is a mother, has a greater responsibility than the man
weighed down with business cares-greater in fact than the re-
sponsibilties Of any man. II her child is a daughter she has a
greater responsibility than any man in the world.
This editorial was suggested by a dear good woman who
wrote the following letter to The News. Scimitar:
~, ! ;, wish !. your S"T. valuable paper ape, would wDuiS write something 1sn M. about SD,. the n G0n,
them the need q courtesy and good manners
e,,uv As s the %O,Se -. OF q d dnus sscssaT TnG 's SDi iSss Sss' IN t%. % go n so u
is very dlscourasng to compare the young men who visit my daughter
,,ou. In s 5so ss, sSys not so long o1sri ago 60 t9ov yo tssr men snd ! knew were co, soqg-
crate o. their elders and careful at all times of their reputation for good
Ny daughters associates ire the same socially $ mine were, but
iSf S SsT Sh %n tS Ss,sS sr ,sI so, ns'S ot' son sS t of , s"sS an. .s . S,w their :, horns rms
S@e xnSI spee ses an IN s or 0ut :, tn goS crowd v6oE In the front on seal; q drive at
and out ,S.a and must ,ut star. a dance as soon rs they are in the house. l
0usncie'' because they know better.
We have some doubt about the efficacy of an editorial adj
dressed 10 the BOYS who lOl around on their SHINES in arto,rnL;I,s
and drive up to homes and "honk" a couple of times for a Young
lauy 10 come out and crawl in as best she can. |. isn't that they
are hopeless OF bad or don't know better. They are law, and
the most difficult person in the world to reach and oct a re-
spouse IRON is one with a laggard mind.
The mind is an electric battery, 1t may be run down and
need recharglng because of oVerwork or neglect, and likewise il
VIII stand constant use much better than disuse; or it may be
nt inc connection IS loose or the wiring imperfect, At any
rate, when 1t is tested and no spark results, the first thing to do
Is to tighten up the connections and find il it is "all there "
Whoever can stimulate the mind to give a spark is the one to
deal with it.
We doubt if the mothers of the boys themselves could get a
response from them at their age. But there is no doubt about
what the mothers of the girls can do.
Boys of a given age, good, bad, Indifferent, rich and poor.
arc Just about as much alike as the proverbial peas in a pod,
They come up to Specifications. They do not exceed the require
mIent There is nothing more inspiring than youth when put on
its mettle.
The fault complained of by the mother who wrote the letter
quoted above is more imagined than real. MANY customs have
changed within the past 20 years, but the ideals of civilized man.
Kind have remained the same through all the ages except in
~Sadent nations.
Some have argued that ii the world accepts the single stand
ard OF morals the women must adopt the standard of the men
That is not borne out by experience.
IL we shall ever have what is commonly known as the Single
standard it will be when men observe the same rule of conduc
as the women. In the first place. woman would not adopt
mans standard as her own, and in the second place, man woult
not accept her on that basis if she did.
"a
The woman who looks with not entire favor upon the charge
that have come about is not to be charged with being "d
fashioned, or mot keeping up with the times 1t is not to b.
denied that the trend nowadays is too much toward amusemen
on the part OF young people and old as we'll
Automobiles, moving picture theaters. parks and wellpave
streets have a tendency to lure the people OF every rank and ag
away from the home. 1t is not so much the attraction away fror
the home as the lack OF attraction in the home. Il is monoton
that people grow tired OF and causes them to turn to other thing
some lveier and others more subdued. There ought not TO b
anything irksome about the home. 1t is the thing that ever
natural, normal person Graves, and if there is too much dispoS
tion to get away from its influences something is wrong.
1T is no new or recent thing for mothers to take seriousl
the responsibility for the proper conduct OF their daughters.
Is not only natural but proper. Girls are wiser, we are told, tina
they were, but they are just as good, just as beautiful and a
wholesome. No wonder the mothers guard them with such 10,
ing care.