Evening star., 1939-06-13

Parents Are
Make No Mistake,
Youngsters in
Love Suffer
By ANGELO PATRI.

When a 15-year-old girl and a
19-year-old boy fall in love there is
much trouble. The young things are
under the spell If an emotion big
ger than their power to understand,
even to control, at times. Make no
mistake about it. however, these
young people suffer deeply when
they come to know they cannot hope
to realize their love- There is Moth
ing to laugh at nor to be angry
about in the situation. The best
thing to do is to get busy about
helping them through the difficult
time with as little pain as possible.
When the children are intelligent,
we'll behaved. we'll intentioned, the
problem is easier. They can be
trusted to help themselves bit and
to understand that their elders are
trying to help them. They are more
likely to listen to what we call rea-
son and try to adjust themselves to
this trying period.
1t is a mistake to scold about it.
Children of this age cannot help
falling in love because nature or
dained that they should. Society
has made their union impossible, so
society should help make this time
easier for the thwarted young peo-
pie. Be gentle and search for a
way out. 1t usually appears on time.
Forbidding the children to see
each other does not work. Speak
out plainly and tell them the bad
news at once. Years must pass be-
fore they can hope to bring this
affection to maturity, so the best
thing for them to do is to prepare
for that time. They are both to
complete their education, both to
mature themselves sufficiently for
marriage and they will need all the
time they have. In the meantime,
they can see each other at least
once week. No daily meetings be-
cause they are to be too busy. Let
it 60 at that.
You need not tell them just now
that they are both likely to fall in
love dozen times before they do
it for good and all. But you can
know that this is true, and help it
to be true by having young people
at the house and encouraging new
friendships. 1t is rarely that first
loves are last ones and everybody
concerned ought to be prepared for
changes. Tolerance on the part Of
the elders is essential in this pre-
dicament for if the children are met
with anger. alarm, suspicion and
autocratic commands the affair that
might have worked itself out harm
lessly is more likely to become a
family tragedy. Take things easy
and wait.
These cases are more difficult than
ever these days when work for young
people is so scarce. 1t is the duty
Of every man to support his wife
and family and if he has no work
he has no way of doing this. This
state Of affairs is temporary. There
is enough work in the world for
everybody and some left over. One
of these days we will stop talking
and get down to work again and
things will move swiftly toward nor
NAL living again.
Keep that hope before the young
people and train them, boy and girl,
to do one job so we'll that there will
be market for their services. Good
work will win its way, if not today,
then tomorrow surely, and these
are the children of tomorrow. Teach
them to work and to hope and to
plan ahead. Keep them busy build
ing up bodies and minds that will
bear the pressure of life in their
time. Keep them learning to do
useful work with thoroughness and
skill, and the way will open for
them. Be gentle with them, for
they are suffering much.