The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-26
My Husband---1 The BOOtLegger
By Caroline Beecher

with them. In this they differed no whit from many of the stay-at-hOmes, | but their influence was greater because | ut the spirit of hero worship in all | girls. Before the war nnd during it we | had always had wine in the house and | whiskies and the ingredients for mix ing cocktails in the sideboard. But l Mort never had drunk much, scarcely | touching anything unless we hadi guests. I never drank, principally be- cause disliked the taste of liquor, and the children never had been allowed to taste wine or liquors of any kind. Yet before Lucille was IS I was sure I de- tected liquor on her breath, and had talked very seriously to her about it.
 If it it wicked to drink why did you always have it in the house when you could afford it, and before the silly prohibition law was passed" she asked, and Mort, laughing, remarked:
 She's got you there, Stella !"
 I argued as best I could under the circumstances, annoyed and embarrass- ed by Mort's attitude, l pleaded her youth, her inability to drink without showing it, the harm it would do her health, what people would say, how they would criticize her, and lastly, that she was breaking a law of the country. She listened, a superior half smile on her face, but would give me no promise that she wouldn't drink.
 T don't propose to be a kill-joy," she said. "But I'll promise not to take enough to hurt me-" And with that had to be satisfied. Pretend to be, rather. l was afraid to press Lucille teO far.
 You shouldn't have laughed, treat ed her drinking so lightly" I said to Mort when we were alone.
 T am very anxious over Lucille. She is determined to go about with these men and boys, girls, too, who drink. Our losing our home, living in an apartment where it is difficult to en- certain as we used to, even if we could afford it, having no maid, etc., has made her more insistent upon going out"
 T know, but things will change pret- ty soon. They must, one way or an other. She is young, let her have her fling. No harm will come of it. Times have changed, Stella, since you were a girl; old restrictions, strict conventions have disappeared. The flapper today ifs wiser than her grandmother, to say nothing of her mother. Wiser and bet ter able to care for herself"
 His reasoning sounded spacious to me, but he was so sure that Lucille was sensible, so sure she would do nothing really rash, that I tried to think so too. Yet automatically I was always watching, almost waiting, for some thing to happen to my lovely daugh- s ter.
 I made our home as attractive as l could, urged her to bring her young friends home as she used to.
 If you think I am going to ask them here when we have no maid you're mistaken. l won't have my mother wait on them"
 Mona will help me, dear, and ii I would be no trouble"
 Tt isn't the trouble I'm thinking of 2 it's the looks of the thing. I don't SC much mind the old crowd, but the oth CTS! Why, l should die of mortified tiOn to have them know you had tC do your own work. Sometimes I wisf we'd never had anything, then W, wouldn't miss it so. If grandfather haC lived l am sure he would have mad, the business pay-he always did"
 "Yes, dear. But circumstances wer, T too strong TOT nun ana your Tatner an( Uncle Clifford are doing their best We must economize, help them all W, can"
 T should say we were economizing And I hate it p
 Mona was a comfort to me in man, ways, although she envied and copiet her sister. She was willing to hell with the work, did not tease for clothes She had been brought up to believe young girl should dress simply unti after her coming out. That she neve was likely to be introduced formally a Lucille had been never entered hel mind, and I said nothing. Tim enough in three or four years to dis cuSs that question; much might hap pen in that time.
 think one of the greatest hardship our changed circumstances wrought fo me was the giving up of my evening with Mort at the theatre and opera was passionately fond of music, Q