The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-02
THE NEW
GENERATION
JOAN TALKS OF THE aHONOR
SYSTFMs
By JANE PHELPS


Chapter 100.
Both Joan and her mother laughed
heartily at Hannahs naive remark,
and Joan said:
Pm glad some one had faith in my
powers of attractions"
You're attractive enough, but I
suspicion yeu are mighty hard to suit
Miss JOAN" Hannah returned with
the liberty of an old servant.
"Of course I ami And in no hurry
well enough alone. I'm happy now
with my work, and you and Mumsie,
why should 1 want to make a
changer"
'Only just because it's natural Miss
Joan, natural for young things to fall
in love and get married, and have chill
dren. There's enough Hannah's in the
world already without any more girls
stayin' single, enough to make cookies
for all the children"
Hannah never had ceased to regret
she had not married when young. She
probably boasted of a beau" but she
had wanted to wait>until they could
lay aside enough to furnish a home
and he, impatient, would not wait bus
married Hannah's chum, girl in
ferior in every way to the level-headed
girl who wanted to save first
PLENTY of time, Hannah! That's all
I have, is time" Joan said laughing
ly, neither she or her mother paving
any attention to Hannah's grumblings
which ran something like this:
"Um-if you don't hurry up-your
ma will never marry that nice Mr..
Forrester-and she loves hin-and
it's shame-and 1 don't say, a word
for fear IN put my foot in it and-it
is all can do to keep STILL" soliloquy
that continued long after she reached
the kitchen. But Hannah knew Joan
too well to risk meddling. She knew
s,-1s
marrying again, knew her far-fetched
reasons. And she also knew Joan
would not listen to anything on the
subject; that she would not be con-
WINGED she was wrong, that her moth
er had a right to marry.
What an old dear HInnah is
Joan remarked. after the door closed
on the old servant. 'T never can re-
member a time when she wasn't MAX
ing cookies for me-"
mo wonder you can'ti She came
to me when you Fwere My a few
weeks old-too young to eat cookies
but as soon as you We're old enough
she commenced feeding you. Yes.
Hannah is an old dear. 1 don't know
how I ever should have gotten thru
those first years without her. I knew
nothing about babies, and not much
more about keeping house,
you've been an old dear, too,'
Joan said softly. 1t was not often that
Joan spoke in this tone, that she
showed any softness of emotion.
IF you have been happy, Joan, I
am repaid"
Happy! What girl could help be-
ing happy with such a Mumsie?" now
speaking gayly. IF / had the mother
some girls have should have jumped
the traces ages ago. / don't see how
they stand it, being bossed all the
time"
81 was bossed all the time, Joan
that is why 1 have given you so much
freedom. But you must not think
parents are cruel because they insist
upon, being obeyed. l am sure my
But she believed in training me. Per-
haps she was wise-I don't know"
Now Mumsie dear, don't go to get
ting the idea in your head that 1
would have been better had you
brought me up as you were, or as Hor-
poor girl is told she must and she
mustn't until should think she would
throw everything in the house at
someone. No, Mumsiel We are a
new generation, and a different one.
You-and a few others-have aWak-
ened to the fact that children, young
people have a right to their freedom,
their own self-eXpression. Tt won't
be long Lefore the others will have
to fall in line, whether they want to
or not. Welt mean the new gem
eration-will take the bits in our teeth
and gang cur own gait whether or no.
And the funny part of it, Mumsie, will
be that we will be far more care
full to keep straight and square than
we are now, when there's every temp
tation to cheat. Not with me of
course. but with girls like Hortense.
If it isn't so, why does the honor sys-
tenn work SO well in all the schools
and eolleges2 BY the way, good
idea-subject for my next article I'm
off, Mumsie, while it is fresh in my
mind"
% THE dear thing!" Margaret sad as
the door slammed after the tempestu-
Gus girl.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Hardy decides to
marry.)