The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-10-30
WHY GIRLS
LEAVE HOME
By Beatrice Fairfax,
BY Beatrice Fairfax

DICK up today's paper-look
i through the news items.
You'll doubtless find the story OF
a grill who ran away or was lured
The chances are tlere'll be sew
eraI stories: For all over this
broad land Of ours, girls are leav-
ing home by hundreds and
thousands.
Where do they go?
Why do they go?
Are they happier and better
away or disappeared from home.
away from the home nest?
These questions are being asked
by many thinking people. And
the answer is not easy to find.
Fame, fortune, and freedom
above all youths love of adven-
ture," are, according to Mrs.
Mary Hamilton, New York's first
policewoman, lures that lead
so 900 girls to disappear every year
without leaving a trace. And
she adds that jazz Of the dance
halls, expensive automobiles, and
elaborate clothes are inducements
held out to them in many cases.
You KNOW know-dOzens or
unmarried young women who are
(. living away from home. If we
inquired. we might learn that
many of these girls left home
with the full consent Of their
parents.
A girl who leaves home for
a worthy purpose after her char
acter and judgment are mature
usually makes a success OF her
new life and learns self-reliance
without losing feminine charm.
Captain John Ayres, command
ing officer of New York's miss
ing persons bureau, says the un.
adjusted home" is the chief
cause why girls leave home. How
hard it is to make home. attractive
in cramped quarters, where every
penny has to go for the sheer
necessities Of life. But surely
facing the. difficulty and trying
to help is better than running
away. He suggests as a Ineaus
Of bringing more color and good
times into their lives that girls
join in the recreations and past
times of community centers,
settlements, fine girls clubs and
Y. w. G.. A., Y. M. H. a. and
similar organizations connected
with various churches and re-
ngions.
Very young girls alone away
from home because Of their lack
Of judgment and their love of
good times, are easy prey for
oglers and the approaches and
aoN1fnaf Of rlV1GoVsHNnIY1nITa
who learned long ago how to out.
wit naives girls feeble defenses.
If young girls had experienced
judgment and formed character
to cope with the dangers Of life
they'd no longer be young girls.
They would be mature women.
Your mother is your best friend
and liz planning for your good,
even when she seems strict and
unsympathetic. Remember, she
has been all through the expert
ences that seem so thrilling to
you now. She realizes that what
seems tragic to you is not as
tragic as you think. what seems
to you most Of all to be desired
is not even good for you.
Just now when so much de-
Ponds on what you do and how
you prepare yourself for years to
come, your mother knows infinite
ly better than you do what IS best
for you. You'll never regret fol-
lowing her advice and remaining
at home where she can guide and
help you until you are safely past
the "growing-up years"
A migratory instinct comes to
youth-the call of adventure in
the wide world. Girls used to
find the answer to this cali
through early marriage. Our
grandmothers as rule married
not later than twenty-one. Even
today the average girl finds her
all-sufficient reason for leaving
home in marriage and a new
home Of her own.
Why do girls leave home?
Why do birds leave the nest?
In the case Of very young girls,
as in the case of over-ambitious
birdlings, the advice holds good:
Wait little longer.
wait until your wings are
stronger.
""Before you fly away"
If you are old enough to have
firm character and sound judg-
IuSAl1 IL yOu are we'll SIdI leu III
your twenties-and you feel that
you must leave home to earn
your living or see more OF life or
to make your own environment
then go with your parents knowl-
edge and consent and keep in
touch always with home and
mother.
But think twice, whatever the
1uro tn leave home NAV he-how-
ever wise and self reliant you
may feel. For home is in a vast
majority Of cases a girls best
environment and affords her best
opportunity to grow in patience
and power Of adjustment, indi-
viduality and charm.
At home as nowhere else you
IAN learn lessons which will en-
able you later on when love and
marriage come to make your own
home a little bit of Paradise.