Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-18
ems 0f the Limitations Of

Mrs. Madeline DahlenbaMgh becomes membeg
Of the freshman class ct state University.
That kind Of publicity made It dif1cult for
Mother D. and for her children. but after q
white the local excitement died down and Tor
MIX years, with two vacation periods u three
weeks each, the mother Of the DahlenbaughB
ground her way through curriculum, emerging
ct the end Of the period Bachelor Of Arts with
high honors. r.
great deal had happened to Madeleine
Dahlenbaugh besides the ironing out Of her
vocabulary. To her disznay, considering the
brevity Of the life allotment left her, the world
around her was suddenly jammed. crammed.
with new interests, new things to do; new SUBJ
jects to study: new mental worlds to conquer.
It was an embarrassment Of riches that over.
wtaelmed her. causing her TO emerge from the
years at college Infinitely more bewiidered than
when she entered.
isn't it too terriblei Mother isn't funny
any more! she's nike any Of m now. She
doesn't pronounce Psychology physiology any
more. and she knows the difference between
James Joyce. Alice joyce. and Peggy Joyce
We've lost eur natural Poor darling, whas
win she do now. that she has become just Q
regular person."
no an intents and purposes. Mother %.
emerging from the ak years into . world a.
strange to her -. she YVES to It. should have
functsoned something like this: Slipped
quietly and gratefully back into the routine she
had known for 20 many more years than she
had known the brief years Of college. Her
children planned It that way. One taste OF tase
old life and the old darling home interests
would revive. even II they did 20 dramatically.
To surprise her, the children en- masse, bought
back the Old mansion, ut great expense, TO have
1t waiting for her return. Two Of the married
daughters planned 70 nit back with their faEn-
lilies into the home. strange Bachelor OF Arts
was about TO emerge from college.
WELL, Madeleine Dahlenbaugh did none Of
the things expected Of her. The home
contained her, but not in the sense It had.
Occasionally. for the ediacation Of her chiI-
dren, she painstakingly went out Of her way 10
mispronounce . word. or say the malapropos
thing ut the malaprop0s moment. But. in tho
main, there was % little time Left for playing
clown. Sometimes. Il even occurred 10 Mother
D. that her two daughters with their marrow
interests were much better qualified for the role.
Among the many subjects that had captured
her interest while sine was I'm college was the
science Of anthropolcgy. II had TO do with
tire history of man. In anthropology, you
studied the Beginning Of the human race and
ID magnificent. tortuous. vigorous and cotrra-
geous journey down through the ages. In
anthrupoioU you dealt I'm geologic areas q
time, reck0ned In thousands 0f years, and delved
deeply into the secrets and the meanings Of LIE.
To think her children had been concerned
about her emergence from college into . world
THAT might seem alarming and alien 70 her: %
think they had prepared the old home with
its petty routine because she might need the
haven q sinking back into home routine.
Yes. according 30 aa preconceived ideas On
the subject. the little old lady. with the burden
81 her age OF IN awakened intellectual curiosity.
needed 20 be shown the way down the renaain-
der u her years.
The remainder q her yeaxsi There never
were such packed. exciting. stimulated yeaxn
im which 20 conclude Mfe ~ Those which faced
Mother D. On her glorious voyage ~ the AlW.s
covcry of the human race.
lCopyrisht. isseI)