The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-18
Partners in Guilt.

The father was absorbed in business
The mother In society or clubs, and they
left the boy TO grow up on the streets
and learn his code OF conduct from
hoodlums. Neither father or mother
ever took the trouble to get acquainted
with the boy. to be his friend and con-
hdant and to instill in his youthful
soul those high ideas OF principle chat
keep lad straight through the tempta-
tons OF life, and so he became a Grim
inal.
I never see a drab Of the streets
without thinking that It 10 her mother
from whom we should draw away our
mother had inculcated modesty and
purity In her. II her mother had taught
her strength and virtue, and fngrained
into the very fiber OF her soul that
feeling that makes a woman hold her
chastity above her life, no man could
no want or poverty could have driven
her to the streets.
But her mother was weak and care
less. or she was frivolous and vain.
She taught her daughter indirectly, II
not directly. that. dress was the most
important thing in the world for q
woman. and that she must have finery
no matter how she got II, and so the
girl was hardly to blame II she sold her
soul for yard of chiffon.
Or she let the girl go about half
clothed and her modesty persisted, for
modesty can only exist when it Is COW
cred by the seven wells Of reticence
Above all, the girls mother never
warned her that q woman IL always in
more danger from herself that she Is
from any man. And so the girl fell,
and her sin IL on her mothers head.
I never see an unhappy home, or hear
OF a divorce that do not think that
xuh oh hA
named IN the suit are the parents on
both sides. They have brought their
children up to be selfish, with no idea
OF owing a duty to any one but them
selves, and when they find out that
matrimony consists OF more bills than
billings more cooking than cooling, they
have not the courage to endure the
sacrifices II demands.
II mothers would prepare their
daughters for wifehood by teaching
them to ba thrifty managers and good
housekeepers, and that marriage means
n woman buckling to and doing her
duty. no matter how hard 1t may be in
the estate unto which she has called
herself; and II fathers would teach
their sons that 1t is a solemn thing for
man to take a girls life into his
hands. and II he doesn't fulfill all his
obligations to her just by feeding and
clothing her, but that he must do all
In his power to really make her happy,
Why WOulu tcdSc u ne Il
failure 1t Is the parents who wreck
their children's domestic happiness by
not fitting them to be good husbands
and wives.
And 1t Is the parents who are re-
sponsible for the failures. the poor
stand up and fight the battle of life,
and SO are conquered by fate. Mother
and father couldn't bear to see Johnny
and Mary work, and 80 let them grow
to become lazy loafers. Mother and
father hadn't the heart to hear Johnny
and Mary cry, and so they let them
develop into soft towards who gave up
In the face of every difficulty and be-
came parasites that hung onto the
strong instead of standing on their own
feet. NAnd Johnny and Mary have the
right to curse mother and father for
what they are.
We are all partners in guilt when
things go wrong, and we may well pray,
as did the little priest whenever he
heard Of any one committing a crime:
May God forgive you and me for that
mans SIM"