Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-11-06
When Her Anger
Had subsidized
20 by Doubleday. Page & Col
By HUGHES MEARNS

Of the Washington high school where
she had been led into q public confess
sion. The principal had introduced a
psychologist to the meeting. a fine
voiced, magnetic gentleman, who would
confer with parents and talk with
them about youth and all the new
ways of learning. He had asked ques-
lions in the most intimate Of per-
suasive tones; and almost before Mrs
Laselli had been aware of it, she found
herself speaking out before all the
American mothers and telling how she
had just scolded her child and had
sent her to bed for saying a coarse
word.
And now she knew that she should
not have done that You may get
seeming obedience" the psychologist
had told her sympathetcally, "but
your child is not obeying with her
mind. Deep within her is a storm of
rebellion; it will rage-deep within
her-and when it breaks forth later,
as it is sure to do. you may wish you
had reasoned with her, really persuad,
er her, and so have won her to YOU
And the picture he painted of the pos
sible evil consequences of her harsh
treatment was very terrifying.
But there were ways of making
amends, he pointed out ; and Mrs. La
selli was hurrying home to meet her
daughter, Beatrice, and save her from
herself.
Where you been all day so late
when you have got from school
early, hey?" Mrs. Laselli began in the
old threatening tones, but caught her.
self instantly and laughed, rather
startling laugh, and added: "Out wit
dose Dutch Lasher kids, huh? Havin'
good time, huh? OATS a. right,
Beatrice. Have a good time when
you're young. You was out wit de
Lasher kids, huh?"
Beatrice nodded. The mother did
not notice the troubled. watchful face
Mrs. Laselli sat down and beamed
at her daughter. Then she launched
into the speech of reconciliation. She
had been all wrong to scold her and
send her to bed for saying a bad word.
Young American kids were different
In the old country they beat them and
then what7-all the kids cut out from
home at the first chance and let the
old mothers and fathers take care Of
themselves. Or they got locked up or
went to the bad. Now she wasn't GO
ing to be that way any more; Mrs.
II oolH 70 h. fn1
"Ysu have q good time, yes, wit
dose Dutch Lasher kids, huh, Bea-
trice~ The mother smiled radiantly.
"Oh, mother!'' Beatrice burst sud
denly into weeping and cast herself
on her knees and buried her head in
the capacious lap. 81 wasn't out with
the Lashers."
tWhatP The mother bristled sus-
piciously. "Den wat you lie to me
for, heyy'
But Beatrice did not hear the ques-
ten. She was sobbing, but some of
it was for joy that her mother would
at last understand. at was joe" she
said at last, raising troubled wet
face.
"Joep Mrs. Laselli shrilled the
name. Dat good-for-not'in' truck
driver! Joel'
Yes" Beatrice went on eagerly,
hungry for the chance to confess; II
have been meeting him after school.
Nothing wrong, you understand moth
er. Just meeting and standing and
talking, him joshing me and me hav-
ing fun, you know. And al
ways he has been wanting me to
walk out in the park, and was
afraid. Didn't know why. but /
was. And he kept at me, called me
cowardy-cat. And | said / wasn't a
cowardly-cat. And he dared me. And
SO today | went. And oh, mother"
she buried her face again, "he
grabbed me and tried to kiss me, and
beat his face with my hands, was
afraid to scream for fear someone
would see me and tell-and | broke
away and ran and rant was dark
until l got home and l could hardly
get up the steps and l was so scared
And, oh. mother I.wasn't going to tell
you, but"
Beatrice found herself on the floor
with the violent shove that Mrs. La
SELL had put into her blazing indigna-
ton. From there she looked up in
dazed surprise. Mrs. Laselli was
shrieking at her.
you go out wit dat joe hey And
disgrace yourself wit huggin' an kiss
in an all dat in de park, heyl Wat
kind o. daughter is it you're bein', hey?
In de park An wit dat good-for-
nof'in, Joel Up to your room wit you,
right off quick, before | take. a stick
an beat you so you never go oat wit
boys again. Up, l say To bed you
go, and stay, you low, goodfor-not' in
until say you get out again
Out O. here quick before | beat your
head for your
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