Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-23
TuR STITCH IN TIMB.

control She refused TO go 10 rchooi.
she declines TO work. She sleeps ma"
tho day. and dlssipates three-iout 'is
Of the night. Her companions IA 80
hraxen, taxzy boys and girls, anu w.,
her mother demonstrates with her ior
',s,t.,,, ,,.,h such undesirable peo-
10 sha hangs the door behind her, ana
lasha. OF In an automobile to Heaven
knows where.
Ths pirl win not listen to her moth
or,a warning She is deaf TO her moth
or. entrcaties and adamant before her
pr-ayars and tears, and 30 the poor wo-
man waves her impotent hands and
asks what shall she DO to save her
daughter.
The question comes Just seventeen
wears 20 late. No one can tell moth
or how 10 control Il wnyward girl OF
seventeen, who has never been taught
Ia do anything but to crafty her own
desires. who has never been disci-
plined. or had the sense OF duty breo
In her.
The prodisnl daughter is a far moro
difficult problem TO deal with than the
urodisal son. because one dare not use
the stern measures In dealing with a
girl that often one can use effectively
with IA boy.
Sometimes the boy can be stopped
from sowing his wild oats by putting
him I'm reform school. but TO send a
gtrl 20 a refor mschool. IS TO make her
the associate of the women OF the
streets and 10 smirch her name for all
time. Sometimes Il makes man of
tho boy who IS idle and lazy. 70 chuck
linn out OF the home and tell him that
he must work or starve, but TO close
tho door on a young girl Is 10 throw
la, 20 the beasts who prey on youth
and beauty.
50 there IS no way IN which one can
rtop the girl who has started
tohoganning down the primrose path.
She Is pleasure mad. She thinks only
~ tho Joy OF the moment She is ready
% sell her soul for a dance. and drink.
nd a motor ride. She is too young TO
ealire what she IS doing. She IS too
ignorant 20 count the cost. She is too
selfish 20 care FOR the sorrow she IS
causing. and the disgrace she may
hrins on others. She is as hard as
rock. and no appeals 10 her heart or
her conscience touch her.
Sometimes God. IN His mercy. saves
such a girl. but there IS nothing that
any human agency can DO 10 pre-
vent the catastrophe. The mother can
,uly stand y and suffer. and II she is
honest say 70 herself: This is my
work ! am wholly 10 blame. A little
white so.,' was given IN my keeping and
This poor tawdry rag Of ferlinity is
what havc made Of r."
For a mothers responsibility for her
laughter IL complete There isn't
woman in the world who doesn't know
this. but tho fact that women refuse TO
.4ce s. that a mothers work must be
D, hT- - s-fc rr-Na hay
And it takes strength and courage 20
wrertie with strong. young wills and
conquer them. II interreres too much
with bridge teas clubs and Uletinees.
20 be always pruning. shaping. forming
the thoughts and habits OF children So
the average mother side-steps the job.
and waits tn her daughter are grown
20 reason with them, and its forever too
late.
Mothers hav~ two aocurscd phrases
with which they dope their conscfences
and stulify their intelligence. One is.
hope and pray that my children viii
turn out well" The other i- something
about their children outgrowtng their
faults
Yet IN her hsHrt. every mother knows
that chance plays no more part IN the
bringing up Of children than u does Fl
the multiplication table, and that unless
a childs faults are corrected. she does
not grow out OF them but grows into
them more deeply.
II mother gives little Mamie every
thing she howls for as a baby. what
right has she 70 expect that Mamie Will
be self denying grown gtrl7 II Mamie
never has . wish hwArted IN her child
hood who can expect her TO be willing
70 forgo her desires when she Is oldar
II MAmie's teTLpeL "a never controlled.
II she never learns obedience. or 70 sac
rffce herself for others when she IS
little, who can expect her 70 be cut-
ful, cons.Gerhte daughter when ehe is
al the time OF LIE when ones craving
for the pleasures OF youth are al their
highest?
II mother has taught Mamie directly
or indirectly, that fine clothes and
amusement, and the admiration Of men
are the chief objects Of woman's life.
whose fault Is il that she gets them
how and where she can. n the hey-day
Of her youth
II Mamie has not had the habit Of
obedience bred in her. II a sense OF duty
has not been !ngra!ned IN her until IL
is part OF the very fibre OF her being.
how is one going TO expect her 70 yield
her 20 respect her. or 70 have any higher
law than her own selfish pleasure?
Mothers can't raise their children
wrong. and then expect them suddenly
20 face about and go right, and that's
why the woman with the wayward
daughter can DO nothing with her. BY
the time a girl Is seventeen. her char
acter is formed for good or evil. II
she had been brought up from her
babyhood 20 be obedient. and with
sense OF her responsibility 70 others;
II she mad been bred 10 modesty and
high ideals. II she had been taught
moderation and self-control she would
not have run wild. She would have
had that within her own soul that
would have held her TO the right road.
She would have saved herself. as we
must all save ourselves in the end.
a mothers influence has been glori-
fed in song and story as the most
sacred Of all things. II is well 20 realize
that a mothers influence is as all-pow-
erful for evil as IL IS for good, and that
10 can send a girl or boy 70 perdition,
As well as take them TO Heaven.