The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-07
Reasoning Is
Best Weapon
for Mother
BY MARTHA LEE

1he UTSL Oh IIle year always ID q
good time to do a little checking
back. Usually that inventory will
include merely the incidents.
changes, tragedies, happinesses and
heart breaks of the year which just
has been completed.
That is just barely scratching the
surface of things, If you want to
know. The years are too closely
linked together, and as a conse-
quence, the changes and happenings
in individual lives, are too converged
to really stand out significantly BY
themselves.
One day slips into another, form
ing a perfect link. The incident OF
one day fits in with the incidents
of the next in such way that the
changes, so gradual, are difficult to
depict, unless one can go back to a
definite turning point.
Twelve years or more ago, the
matrons of America were startled
into consciousness with the appear
ance of a new creature-the lapper.
She cut off her skirts to her hither-
to unexposed knees.
She got out the scissors and
whacked off the unsightly figure
eight" her mother had handed down
to her with other signs and symbols
of womanhood, namely corsets, dis
Greet ankle length skirts, bone hair
pins of imposing size, golden oak
bedroom suites, the waltz, and the
idea that men are men and women
are put on this earth for the eX-
press purpose of getting one for
ones husband and then doing the
best she can, in nice, womanly,
gentle fashion to make his home
interesting enough that he would
want to stay in it at least five nights
a week.
She started out with bang. She
hardly was recognizable from the
women matrons crossed the streets
to avoid. She painted as wildly.
The matrons threw up their hands
in holy horror and wondered where
it all would end.
Rocking Cradles
That was twelve years ago. Now
one really can look back and find
out where 1t all ended. Remember
back until you can think OF two or
three OF the most daring "fapperS'
of that day. They are, for the most
part. at the age old job of rocking a
cradle, making out budget and
trying to keep a husband happy.
They now are the mothers OF
young daughters and sons, about
whose future they already are wor-
rying, the same as their parents
we're at the time when they ere
volted." They are looking at the
younger generation" those boys
and girls who were toddling about
when they were shocking the ma
tives by taking swig out of a fash
occasionally. They are saying pre-
cisely the same thing. Whats the
world coming to? Where will it al
end?"
The hazards have increased
There are more places of so-called
amusement these days than there
were twelve years or SO ago. The
pace. which just was being set then
has increased as rapidly as the rate
Of speed of an automobile and air.
plane.
Let's face facts. There is drink
ing and such among the younger
set. These things are dangerous for
the morals of young folks. But
along with all the bad points has
come possibility for those who are
so tempted, to reason out the re-
suits Things that once were whis-
pered in the privacy of a darkened
boudoir now are available as
authentic information. The youth
of today does not step into maturity
quite as blindly as the boys and
girls of 1915.
Never Forbid
If I had a daughter or son. Just
ready to set forth, should not lee
ture on the results of doing this
and that. I would reason and show
examples of what had brought me
to that form of reasoning. I should
not forbid. would let my daughter
see how really unattractive and dis
gushing a drunken person is. !
would show her reasons why pro-
miscuous petting is disastrous to her
future.
She Is of an age where analogies
are comprehensive. I would give
her those to mediate upon. No one
wants to buy an article that has be-
come soiled with handling. And il
| one does buy it, the reason usually
is it is a bargain. Cheaper than a
fresh new article would be.
I should invest her with pride in
herself. Not silly false pride, but
the kind of pride that keeps self
respect and self-esteem above al
else.
Invariably, a woman who holds
/ her own character in high esteem
will be held in high esteem BY
others.