Evening star., 1938-02-13

ne question Is: f1OW gOOQ OI DdQ Is
the behavior Of today? Can this era,
of express yourself-take for your
self - be yourself" be expected to
produce compensation for thoughtful
consideration of others and, above all.
courteous kindness to ones guests?
1t is curious, in this day of superbly
trained physique displayed in every
game and sport, that the young people
so alert to dash down the cinder
track. to plunge into the pool. to start
off on the ski run - let their muscles
60 completely foppy as they enter
drawing-room or walk across a ball.
room floor. Similarly they flop back on
their spines when they should be
springing to attention as either host,
hostess or guests. Certain young
hostesses (perhaps they are very few
seem to think it quite all right to re-
main lOlling on sofa or slumping in
chair. merely waving cigarette in a
holder in the air and drawing Hello"
at an arriving guest
Meanwhile, these same never Amind-
about-anything hostesses also sponsor
the too-much-trouble-to-dr -dress-for din
ner idea. So. at perfectly appointed
tables cleaning with polished silver
and satin-fine damask. where certain
formality is plainly an exaction, sit a
host. hostess and a dozen guests who
have been told don't bother to dress"
They don't bother to sit up straight
either. They droop at their places -
upper arm as we'll as elbow on table,
and wilted head on hand. 1t is scarcely
surprising when one of this group goes
to the house of an older hostess, greets
her cigarette in hand, falls into chair,
pulls of her hat, takes out her pocket
comb and combs her hair!
In fairness, however. to the young
est generation of whom. with certain
exceptions. l really approve. their
shortcomings are, it seems to me, the
fault of parents who failed to give
them the proper training.
Much greater wisdom is required of
today's parents than of yesterdays,
when time was plentiful and problems
were not 50 complex. Today's daugh-
tiers 60 out into very mixed world of
total strangers whose manners and
impulses are equally unpredictable.
Plainly, they are in need of special
training to meet unpredictable situa-
tions: in need of good judgment in
appraising character.
To the question of just how the
average girl is to acquire this essential
knowledge, there seem to be only two
answers. One, the wrong one. is of
experience of devastating variety
which goes more than skin deep, and
leaves scars that can never be obliter-
ated. The other. and right one, is the
advantage of training by wise parents
who are spiritually as we'll as mentally
equipped. One who has spiritual sensi-
tiveness is not in great moral danger
ever. Unfortunately. spiritual SEN
sitiveness is the one great lack in the
world today. Failing that. we have
little to fall back upon - except
perhaps deeply implanted belief in
integrity, and an innate sensitiveness
to taste as a safeguard.
From all this it is plain that the
hardest part of my own work is to
answer my young readers questions
about the proprieties. They are really
impossible to answer, unless know
much more about the type of man and
girl concerned.
To the girl who asks a seemingly
questionable MAY :. ?" the
only answer can make is to remind
her that the still small voice" If
she will listen to it - will tell her right
from wrong Moreover, this voice is
an X-wave sending messages to the