Evening star., 1939-08-19
Dorothy Dix Says
Do Not Expect Foster Parents
To Sacrifice Savings for You

Dear Dorothy Dix: When I was
a baby my mother, knowing that she
would live but a short time. gave
me to nurse. This nurse also died
when I was about years old and
she gave me to her sister and I
have been living with her ever since.
l am l6 years old and have just
finished high school. NY foster
mother has asked me what I plan to
do and she talks as if she is not
going to send me to college l sin
cerely appreciate everything she and
her husband have done for me and
l am willing to work my way through
school because I want to be some
body and live up to the name that
she gave me. I would like to teach
if l could get my degree. But my
foster parents say l am not smart
enough to go to college because I am
weak in one subject I am worried
about my future. Will you give me
some advice?
DESPONDENT GIRL.
AnSwer-You have at least one
quality that goes long way toward
making one success in life. and
that is gratitude and loyalty. I
want to tell you how much l admire
your appreciation of the kindness of
the people who have taken you in
and given you home and prOtec-
ton and love ever since you were
left forlorn little orphan baby.
I get many letters from adopted
children and I am continually
shocked at the lack of gratitude that
they show their benefactorS. An
adopted child owes far more to its
foster parents than it would to its
own parents. because it is the duty
of fathers and mothers to support
the children they bring into the
world, but foster parents have no
such obligation to the children
whom they take into their hearts
and homes. Yet these youngsters
take all that is given them as a mat
ter of course and are deeply resent
1
than fathers and mothers to them
try to exercise any control over
them.
I presume from your letter that
your foster parents are people of
small means. and, as they have put
you through high school I think
q c, tn
make the further sacrifice of sending
you to college. Anyway. since. as
you say, you are not remarkably
brilliant. my suggestion to you would
be that you 60 to some vocational
school and fit yourself for some
occupation for which you have an
aptitude.
Try to find out what you like to
do best and what you have knack
for doing. Maybe you are clever
with your hands. Maybe you are
good at figures. Maybe you could
sell things. Maybe you have a good
vocabulary and a flair for words.
Decide on the thing that you think
that you would be interested in
doing and then fit yourself for being
a crackerjack stenographer or book
keeper or salesWoman or whatnOt.
Here's wishing you luck. If you
will be as loyal to your employer
as you have been to your foster par
ents you will rise to the top of the
ladder, for loyalty and appreciation
are two of the rarest qualities in the
world.
Dear Dorothy Dix-I am % years
old, a self-supporting divorce with
a son 7 years old. Do you think
should be denied the right of having
my own home again just for the
sake of conventions? My father
and mother have violent opinions
about girls who live alone and no
amount of effort on my part can in
duce them to see the reason I want
my own home. One reason is that
I want a home for my boy. He
has been morbid because his father
left us, and I know that there are
some things that 1 can give him in
those cozy evenings together that
he won't get at my parents. Then
how will I ever have an opportunity
of catching another husband if I
never have any place to receive a
caller? My parents house is very
crowded. They 60 to bed at 8
o'clock and their bedroom opens out
Of the living room. An uncle sleeps