Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-10
THoUGHTLEss YOUNG PEOPLE

wv HILE | was sitting on a near neigh
w boris front porch last Sunday after
noon making them social call three
boys, none less than twelve years old, raid
ed my front yard, snatched off magnificent
full-bIown tulip, one of the finest specimens
have ever seen, and went up the street
waving the flower just to destroy it, in pure
wantonness.
/ do not know the names Of the boys who
thus wantonly grieved very old lady, and !
do not expect to hunt them up, although it
would be a kindness to their parents to be
thus informed. 1t seems to be a part OF
a general condition in our country. Thought
less young people all about. 1t is an
exception to the rule to encounter respect
full behaviour in the gangs of boys and girls
who throng the streets, and who seem to be
on the go, anyway, to any sort of place to
get away from home.
A gentleman who saw the young tough
leap the wall to destroy my flowers said
later on: 81 do not know where this rest
less gadding about will end up at. Half
the time the careless parents are we'll salts
fed to get some rest from their own chill
dren, while the latter rowing around, with
their destructive conduct. Lots of silly moth
ers are relieved to get little six-year-old tots
off to school, so they can pad the streets
| themselves without having to care for them
at home. Where are the coming mothers to
come from?" he said, in a desparing tone Of
voice
The question is a timely one, and one can
not wonder to find some prominent people, in
church organizations, calling halt, and ask
ing the pertinent question: Are young wom-
en- going to dance themselves to perdtion?''
have made it a rule in long life not to
enter the lists, to dictate to card-playing and
dancing households what they should do or
not do but when rapid society woman
could tell me that she was glad she had no
daughters, because she would not allow a
| Ioj, fcho ho1 49,
in an automobile with man who had been
drinking and dancing with this daughter in
the small hours of the night. 1t wouldn't
be safe,' was her parting ejaculation.
And there is so little respect for age and
the elders OF family, that another question
is pertinent "Are the young ones in the
family circle to rule the methods and man
ners of both young and old. Must every
thing bend to them?" An aged gentleman
Of real prominence, in his lonely old life
was rash enough to sit in a drawing room
and rebuke his granddaughters and some of
their visitors, none more than sixteen, in a
matter of dress and loud behavior; and the
mother is reported as saying: "Pa should
have kept out Of that parlor. He had no
business there. 1t looks like we will have
to move further off; he annoys these chill
dren so much. He is very troublesome"
Those children are heading towards
perdition, with the folIies and vanties all
about them, but the old man was not well
come, and his warnings were sneered at.
And it will be fortunate for him if he does
not suffer great unhappiness because he is
in the way of his own grandchildren.
Away back in old Gilman Confucius
time-the natives were trained from early
childhood to show profound respect to the
older ones. I guess that is why China has
survived so many misfortunes and still holds
on to the ancient respect for the grand
parents in continuous centuries
AS the aftermath of the World war, the
land swarms with many rebellious, self-cen-
tered and entirely selfish younger people
who are Indifferent to their elders, disobedi-
ent to their own parents and reckless in
their associations with each other, and the
not upward.
The evil thing grows with what it feeds
upon. Righteousness exalteth a nation; but