Evening star., 1937-02-23

SLV CAN'T understand it. Here we
are sacrificing ourselves to
give the children every ad-
vantage and they are anything
but grateful. If I had had Caroline's
chance when I was her age I'd have
been a concert singer. But she won't
touch her music lesson unless I force
her to it. And sit by her every min
ute, poking her on.
Just the same with Henry. We
are trying to give him the education
that will make him a good lawyer and
does he thank us? He told us last
week that he Is not going to law
school. He is going to go to some
business school instead and learn to
manage q business. After we have
done our very best to help him to
fine position he tells us he is going to
20 into business. His father says,
Why Not?' But I'm about heart
broken. hoped that one or the other
of them might amount to something"
When a father or mother talks that
way you can be certain that what
they wanted for their children was
something they had dreamed of hav-
ing for themselves in the days of
their youth. They have always
thought this to be the greatest good
that could come to q young person.
They want that good for their chill
dren. But they overlook the most
important point in the whole scheme.
Their children are not interested in
their parents cherished desires. They
have some OF their own pressing upon
them.
Caroline does not want to be a
concert singer. She likes to sing
about the house and join with oLher
young people in their songs. but be-
yond that she has no thought of sing
ing. She really wants to get married
as soon as she can and rear a family
Of children. II want at least five
children" she says. They'll be such
fun. All boys, I think. like boys
better than girls"
Time will modify Caroline's ideas,
no doubt, but the main idea of mar
riage and motherhood is likely to
stick. Why not? It Is a very sane,
happy outlook for young girl to
have Had she dislike for marriage
and motherhood it would be very sad.
Why not accept it and help the child
to prepare intelligently for her fu-
ture?
TT 1n hnx oy,fC a hJ1cirnSc os1tIro.
ton why not let him have it? He
will be all the better for it in what
ever field he works. The world moves
along under the pressure Of business,
which Is another name for work well
organized A good business man Is a
great asset to the community, and
every one of them that is turned out
Of the good business colleges is just
one more to the good.
Work is q personal expression, or
it Is a deadly imposition that wrecks
the happiness of the worker and dis
turbs the peace of the family and the
| community. It Is sad to see devoted
parent battling against the work in
stincts of his children in order to sat-
iSfy his own hungers long suppressed.
In his mistaken belief that he Is con-
ferring great happiness upon his chill
dren he is killing their greatest JOY,
their own work, personally selected,
personally fulfilled.
It is hard to accept one of the
harshest facts of life-one that all
parents must accept in the end:
Children are individuals with hopes,
powers and characteristics apart from
their parents. They are as much
separate individuals, as much distinct
and impersonal beings as the chill
dren Of the neighbors are. The one
means of communication between
grown children and their parents Is
the love that lies between them.
After that the wall. Cherish the love
and avoid the wall.
tCopyright, 1871