Evening star., 1936-05-14
Youth
Insists on
Dram atics
Situation Is Difficult
to Combat With
Success.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

"EUNICE, I do wish you would not
- be so friendly with Lilybelle. She
is not the sort of girl I'd like for your
friend. The less you see OF her. the
better I'll like it. 1t is all right to be
friendly and all that, but don't be
intimate with her"
Nov, mother. what is the matter
with Lilybelle? She's pretty and bright
and has a word for everything and
everybody. She's got some life and
sparkle in her. You'd like me to go
with Cora. She hasn't an idea be-
yond Isn't that sweet?' or How at
tractiver She is lady. Of course, but
what good is that if it leaves you
stranded?"
Better be stranded than marked
as loud and forward and vulgar"
That's your age talking. mother
dear When you were young it was
a crime for a girl to send a come
If you can't master that look you
might as well give up and go home to
your knitting. If that is all you have
against Lilybelle it is nothing"
Words are only sounds, my dear
until meaning is put in them. have
meaning in the words I used. Loud,
vulgar, forward means to me that
this girl has gone beyond the limits
of behavior set by decent people.
There are stories going about-and
from what you have told me yourself
they are likely too true-that should
hate to have circulated about a child
of mine. Mud sticks to a girl for a
lifetime. A boy can shake it of, but
not the girl. What's this hear about
Lilybelle's being mixed up in a scene
at the road house on the long hill?"
well, that wasn't exactly pleasant
for Lilybelle, but she is not to blame
If boy takes too much drink, and all
that. She won't 60 out with him
again. That's all"
THE boys mother says that it is
Lilybelle's influence that made all the
trouble. This is not the only instance
of it. You will have to drop her. I
am not going to have you mixed up
in her affairs. She is not our kind.
hoped you would see it for yourself,
but as you are blind to everything un-
desirable about her shall forbid her
the house and your association with
her. I'm responsible for you yet q
while"
All very well, but it rarely works
out. Orders, bans, denunciations
alike fail in the presence Of the at
tractive, dramatic child. 1t is too true
that goodness often appears very drab
to young people. Too often it is mega
tive. inactive, colorless. The wayward
child is dramatic. He dares and does
and rarely dies. There is always one
or two of him in any adolescent group
and leadership is undisputedly granted
him. Like sheep, the others follow.
1t is idle to talk against him. Idle
to ban his company. The only thing
to do Is to beat him at his own dra-
matte game. Make goodness more at
tractive than daring lawlessness. That
is very difficult because goodness is
usual while the lawlessness of the
dramatic child is extraordinary. II
makes some ones task difficult and
delicate, this combating dramatic be-
havior Of the wrong sort with dra-
matte behavior Of the good sort. But
it Is not an impossible task, and GER
tainly it Is worthy one
Plan entertainments, train leaders
learn to laugh with youth, adjust your
ways and your surroundings a bit to
meet the gayety they extend toward
life. Save the words and put drama
into your activities, and you will win