Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-02
Life's Problems
Are Discussed
By Mrs. Wilson Woodrow

It's a funny thing, but it always
happens. Just as life is going along
smoothly and pleasantly we sud
denly find ourselves at the cross
roads.
We spent sleepless nights trying
to decide, and seek copious advice
on the subject, and the nearer the
momect comes when we have to
take the decisive step the more
muddled we are.
This is the quandary of a corre-
spondent. She writes me that she
and her sister were left orphans at
| an early age, in possession of a COM
Portable little apartment and an
equally comfortable little income.
The latter was not quite enough for
| their needs, so they took a business
training and secured excellent posi-
tions in the same office. Now the
| Younger of the two Is to be married,
| entirely with her sisters approval.
| and both she and her future hus-
| band have asked my correspondent
! TO make her home with them.
She says: Through trying to
take care of my little sister, look
ing after her schooling, etc, have
| made no friends, but have depended
on her for companlonship. Now
that they have asked me to live with
| them | am in doubt what to do and
have not yet decided. l am very
much perpleXed, for I hate to be
alone, and vet l do not want to be
an intruder"
In u New World
Any one who tries to lay down
rules for the conduct of another
| persons life puts himself in the
| class of the fools who rush in where
| angels fear to tread. One can only
| hn in hs,fF
| way.
When Younger Sister marries she
! embarks on a new life with all sorts
| of new interests, hopes and plans
| which are shared only by her hus-
| band. lie and she are living in
! their own world and any one else,
no matter how near and dear to
| either or both, is necessarily an out
slider. You may camoufiage it with
! affection and wreath 1t with senti-
ment, but the stark fact remains.
No matter how welcome Elder
Sister might be in that brand-new
household, she would still be the
fifth wheel to the wagon. II is not
role that is often successfully
played.
1t requires more tact to be a per-
feet guest than it does to be a lion
tanner; and there's less excitement
in it,
The perfect guest must be always
cheerful and smiling. The moment
she yields even to a slight pensive-
ness, she is met with kindly solici-
tude.
Whats wrong" she is asked.
Don't you feel we'll to-day? Have
you had any bad news? You are
so quiet, | don't believe you are
happy with us.'
She smiles and insists that all is
well: but she wants to bite the
woodwork and throw stones at the
bric-a-brac
The Newly-Weds will naturally
have their own circle of friends,
and some of them will not interest
Elder Sister. She might even be
positively antagonistic toward one
or two of them and unable to help
crticizing them, not necessarily be-
cause they were wrong, but simply
because she was not in sympathy
with them. But she would have no
right to express her opinion; i'm fact,
it would be in very bad taste for
her to do so. And uneXpressed opin-
ions and suppressed irritation are
ruinous to that inner harmony
which is happiness.
Letting on Steam
It's terribly hard to be polite and
gracious ana SnllllnS every minute
| of ones life, and to constantly trim
ones sails to meet every veering
wind We've got to let off steam
sometimes and every one is entitled
to the luxury of a thorough-goinG
crouch once a year anyway. But
few of us wish to exhibit our
grouches in public. We want to
crawl into our dens and growl in
decent solitude. And that is a privi-
lege denied to guests in other peo-
pies houses.
Isn't my correspondent clinging to
something that has already passed ?
The affection between herself and