The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-08


she wanted to do, or
id do.
Neither do 7 mean tho times when
she has sat on the arm OF your char,
and kissed the bald spot on the TOP OF
your head, and wheedled you out 9t
check, and YOU called her little
CRATER. and thought she vas the sweet
est thing In the world and gave hef
twice as much as she asked for
You have thought Of her as baby.
as a toy as a something 10 be Wnrked
for, and kept safe. and soft, and guard
ed and protected.
daughter az a real human being, with
thoughts and ideas Of her own, and
plans ana ambitions. and desires and
hopes, and as facing problems and dam
gers and temptations even rs you
and II
And aid YOU ever try TO meet her on
that plain not OF father and daughter,
but Just Of two friends who could slt
down quietly together and talk things
over freely with one another?
III warrant you never did, and tnal
Of an the strange women In the world
the strangest to you is your own little
daughter
Know stenographer Better.
You are not half so we'll acquainted
with her as you are with your stenog-
rapher, or the girls IN your office or
store. You have a very good idea Of
what they think and of what they arc
likely 10 do under any given set OF
circumstances but you haven't the re-
hottest idea of what your own Mable
thinks or would do
Believe me. in not knowing your own
| daughter you are missing one OF the
! greatest treats that life, has TO offeF
| YOU. You may think Mable rather silly
| because she Is always gtggling, or eEse
glum and silent. with nothing 10 say
| In your presence. That Is because she
il embarrassed and I'll at ease when she
| il in company Of 4 man who is such a
| stranger to her as her own father Is
| II you will Chum with her a little YOU
win find out that that pretty little
| fluffy head OF hers is as well furnished
| inside as IL * outside, and that she's
got all sorts Of interesting ideas.
| And youll be enchanted and enter
| tanned at her new point OF view, and
| eXhilarated by her high spirits, and you
| will find out that taking your own
! daughter out to dinner is a thousand
| times more fun than any old rounucr
gets out Of feeding the chickens.
SO much for what you will get out
Of getting acquainted with your own
daughter As for her part, don't you
think you owe II TO her?
OF course you salvc your conscience
for the way In which you have neglected
Mable by saying that YOU leave the
rearing Of the girls to their mother.
and YOU talk vaguely and confidently
about mothers influence az II that was
some sort Of white magic that never
failed TO work under any possible con-
ditions,
Mother Not Capable.
As matter Of fact. mothers are no
moro capable Of bringing up girls alone
and unalded than they are boys.
Mother does her best, but she has her
limitations. She has not had the expe-
rience Of life, she has not the knowledge
Of men and the actual condition of af-
fairs In the world that enables her e
be the friend, counsellor and guide 4
her children that their father can be
Especially to her girls.
Just where the girls are weak ans
need help, mother Is only too offer
weaker and more helpless still IN.
deed In these DAYS, often mother |,
far more romantic and sentimental and
less sophisticated and world wise than
her debutante daughter,
Moreover a woman has no opportunity
To find out about what sort OF a mar
the youths are who hang about her
daughter, but a casual inquiry made N
the right places Will enable auotiari
man TO ascertain everything abou'
them
As general thing man II ever
less acquainted with the men who visit
his house and court his daughter, thar
he Is With the daughter herself, The
first time he ever gives serious
thought to young Smithkins or makes
tho slightest investigation as to WHIT
and what he IL, is when he is told tina
Mable ia engaged 10 the youth in ques'
ton and IL going 10 marry him,
And then II IL too late. TraEicalls
TOO late. Criminslly too late II younE
Smithkins happens TO be the wronE
sort
Father can do nothing then. but III
could have saved Mahle from ltfe.ionG
misery itha had only been on visitinl
terms with her. If he had only been vel
enough acquainted with her to hays
found out which way the wind OF he
fancy was blowing, SO that he couls
have turned II in another direction b
telling her that the boys said tina
Smithkina was a rotter, or that Smith
kins drank too much, or that he let hi
old mother take in boarders 10 supper
him, or that he had past life tina
did not bear investigating
Girls are no fools, They do not de
liberately commit matrimonial suicid
by marrying men who arc dissipate,
and no account. They want husband
who will he prosperous and successful
and az whom they may be proud, an
% times out OF 100 father could Rtee
his daughter away from ulSaatrou
match II only he would put in his on
| In time.
More than that, girl will be NOR
confidential with her father and ope
her heart more freely to him than sh
ever will to her mother, Just as a DO
will tell things to his mother that h
can never bring himself to tell to hi
father and 80 1t makes II easier IA
fathers to protect their daughters tina
IL ia for mothers.
Believe me, Mr.. Man. you have faiie
in the highest duty you have II YOU AR
not Friend Father TO your daughter
Copyright, 1920, by the Wheeler Syn
dictate, 1nc.)
/