The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-03-18
LETTERS TO CYNTHIA GREY

Dear Miss Grey; what do you
think OF the epidemic That is raging
In this country at the present time.
namely. that Of parents giving away
their babies. or bargaining for homes
for tho yet unborn7
II IN true, foodstuffs and cloth
ing are AT almost prohibitive prices.
but why have these babies at all II
they don't intend 90 tnke care OF
thom7 No matter how many babies
there are In a family. there IL always
"a way TO provide. n one just makes
up his mind.
wan one OF five children, In the
days when my father earned. or
rather was paid. si.25 for his days
labor. and he lborod ~ hours no
use saying things were cheaper then.
for ti.25 didn't 20 far those days but
somehow We lived
Mother had very little 10 do with.
but she made the most and the best
OF everything. We lived plainly. In.
deed. but isn't that really best for the
children
| don't ever remember OF being
hungry. and who shall say We were
not "a supremacy happy bunch Of kid.
dies when the snow was gone and we
could go barefoot? We all attended
school. and. as we grew older. mother
sometimes took IN sewing or went
out aa a practical nursc. The older
children gradually began TO earn a
little and. as we grey, we prospercd.
OF course. we had no SO or $50 per
month 20 lay aside for amurcments.
and none OF Us wore fine embroid.
cries or silk underwear. One good
dress a year was the limit. and good
stout RtnghaIns, with possibly a
cheap lawn. nicely made. for sum
ner. Today, one boy is lawyer.
well known. and with an enviabie
record as 20 honesty. and his sym
pathy for those who work and strug-
gle.
The other boy is n skilled mechan.
&c, and wcilto-do There were three
OF ua girls, ono Of whom married a
lawyer. another a doctor, and the
third - a we'll known magazine
wriicr.
I've heard mother Kay that the
struggle WINS a hard one. but that
her grownup children were the great
eat reward a woman could have. She
came from a well TODD family. and
had never known what IL WAS 20 do
much work before size married. but
she often said her hard work and nd.
verni,y whA Just what she needed 70
give her character. and make her
understand the needs Of others She
was. indeed. pure gold. and Il was the
training We received from our mother
and father that has made us what
We are
I have n family OF four children.
and ! have known what II was 20
30 without. and did all my own
work when they were small. but now
We are In better circumstances. and
I have a much n~eded rest
Tho trouble with too many men
ana women today IN that they shrink
from poverty aud privatlona and hard
work. No one could have taken my
babies from me. even tho had 20
beg for food for them. How can any
real mother give away the infant
she has carried So close 60 her heart ?
think would have hated my hus-
band n hc had suggested giving
away one OF his children. but. thank
God. he wasn't that kind.
We were the parents. ours was the
responsibility. and we've never
shirked H.
Maybe I've written too much: but
In good old American slang. 1t
makcH rnQ tired" when read OF par.
cna deliberately planning 10 give
away their own flesh and blood.
A MOTHER.
share your tfcics. cEncily.
hcitcpc the Goth century false stand
ard Of values q largely rcsponSibi,
for the situation yog 40 much de-
plerc.
Dear Miss Grey: have been quito
interested in the opinions expressed
by "Floradora" and working Man. :"
am curious TO know whether the
latter speaks from experience or oh.
scrvnton. or whether his idoas have
formed themselves out OF "A haze Of
nothing In particular. SO often one
mistakes popular ideals for rcali-
ties.
am neither n college girl nor a
chorus girl ~ I should be neutral.
do confess my sympathy leans to-
sha ghCrtta s.frI-ff mag hs, In