Evening star., 1936-11-28
Fancies of
Teen Age
Are Varied
Hard for Them to
Understand
Facts.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

A GIRL Of 18 is very unhappy, she
"A writes, because she loves man
Of 80, q widower, very handsome and
gallant, her dream of a lover. Her
father and mother are stern in their
opposition and insist that she drop
him. They are planning to take her
abroad 50 that she may forget.
"But I can never forget him. He
b the only man I will ever love. He
is sensible. He understands me better
than my own father and mother. He
can take care of me. Would I be
wrong to elope with him?"
Wrong? The child would be out Of
her mind to do such thing. The
man ought to know better. probably
does. Twenty years between 18 and
50 is too wide a span to be safe.
Since when did Eighteen want to be
talked to sensibly? The love Of Eight
cen Is delirious delight, something that
common sense flies from in dismay.
That in itself should tell the child
that she is not In love. She is fat
tered, but she is not responding to her
true love.
AS to being understood she can rest
assured that her father and mother
understand very we'll what is going
on, and they are doing their best to
save her. They were once 1s; they
were once in a delirious dream that
enveloped them both in its rosy mist.
They thoroughly understand their
child, and, what is more, they love
her with a love that passes that of
the widower Of 80. Did he truly love
her he would not try to steal her
Youth for himself.
When did Eighteen worry about
having some one to take care of her?
Again she proves to the experienced
father and mother that she is not in
love. Love knows no care for to-
morrow, takes no heed of what he
shall eat or what he shall wear. He
needs no food and he needs no clothes.
All he needs Is his little arrow safely
imbedded in a throbbing young heart.
Then to the winds with care. No, no,
Eighteen is not in love when she
counts a mans ability to take care of
her among loves assets.
My word to any young girl who Is
60 unfortunate as to think herself in
love with an older man, would be to
try with might and main to find other
interests. Seek new pastures. Play
with the boys and girls her own age,
finally marrying one Of the boys be-
cause she counts the world well lost
without him.
The right kind Of marriage is
the happiest association a man and
woman can experience. Any mistake
in the selection of mate is tragedy
that time can cover, but never heal.
It is idle I know. to talk to young
things about this, but one tries in the
hope Of averting disaster. in preserv-
ing the great opportunity for lifetime
Of joy.
Two people have to do enough ad-
1usting when they are close in age, in
interests, in traditions, in hopes.
When there is a wide span of age
such an adjustment is about hopeless.
The woman of forty and the man of
sixty-impossible. The dancing girl
and the student, the religious girl
and the literally minded, literally
behaving young man, the man devoted
to his creed and his race and the girl
equally devoted to another creed and
another race. offer grave hazards
rarely taken with success. But twenty
years Of time between them? Better
not.
Mr.. Patri will give personal atten-
ton to inquiries from parents and
school teachers on the care and de-
velopment Of children. Write him in
care Of this paper, enclosing a three
cent stamped. self-addressed envelope
for reply.