The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-22
EDITORIAL F @ r
WOMEN READERS
STILL IN THE PROCESSION
nv FLORENCE DAVIES

The November wind has begun TO
find its way through the cracks at
the windws down on the farm. and
now that father was no longer there
to tend the fires. the old place was
getting pretty cold and lonely for
mother.
It's all right to stay here sum
ners,' they had said to the dear
little. old lady, but We want you TO
come up here in our nice warm
steam heated house for the winter"
Reluctantly she had consented,
for the old place was home TO her
and seemed to need her-and she had
her doubts about the city house.
with its busy well ordered
life, where everything seemed TO run
by machinery and the old homely
tasks were done behind the scenes or
swept out OF the way in jiffy with
some contraption with motor.
But the insistence OF her grown-up
children had won out over her diff
fldenee and she had come. And then
the tragedy began--the tragedy OF
.misdirected love-for It could never
have been said that her son and his
loyal wife did not love her and
earnestly want her to ba happy. But
they wanted her to be happy and
useless. Their idea OF having mother
live with them was to give her n
perfectly good room and the best
quilts in the house. the dantiest food
and an easy chair which might
Just as well have been nice
snug little shelf for it was always
on the side lines.
And mother was never a person
who had stayed on the side lines and
watched the game She had been
right out in the field rushing the
ball.
And so all that they did at first
to make mother happy was to make
her feel that she was useless. which
is the wrong way to make anybody
happy. whether he's old or young
The thing that keeps my mother
so happy is the consciousness that !
would probably collapse IL she
dropped out" said another woman
who was wise enough to know the
tragedy OF not being needed. she
is eighty-three years old, but she
keeps house for me. with the help OF
a little maid, still overseeing the
cooking and dom gmuch oft her
self. She knows that she must keep
the home going while l bring in the
money and that gives her the sure
kHONleuEe tnal kne Is Sllli III Tue
game. still one of us, still very much
needed" this woman explained
Many a busy mother has exclaimed
that 1t was more work to teach a
growing girl than to do the work
herself. But she knows that the girl
needs to learn and so she takes time
to show. her the tricks OF pastry
making or the tedious stitches in a
dress.
It may also be rather more bother
than it's worth to have a frail little
body about. But II 1t means con-
tentment it's worth all the patience
that 1t takes.
Neither the aged nor the young
should be the burden bearers. Those
on the long level stretch OF middle
life must carry the heavy load OF
living. But we must keep the others
alongside.
Mother doesn't want to stand at
the window and watch the process
sion go by. She doesn't want to be
hustled off to her room where it's
quiet and where she won't be in the
way. She wants to share life with
the rest of US as long as II lasts for
her And those do the sharing will
never regret 1t when the shades arc
drawn and the procession has ceased
forever.