The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08
By KATHLEEN NORRIS
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girls to be good. That has an
= old-fashioned ring, hasn't it?
And it sounds as though it were ad-
dressed to moppets of four and five,
In the nursery.
But as a matter of fact I hope
to reach older boys and girls;
youngsters whose ages range from
say, Is to 19. These are terrible
ages, for mothers and fathers.
These are ages when the grownups,
who seem so powerful and so ur-
affected, are often living in secret
fear of their offspring.
If Tom, II, and Margaret, Is,
knew the panic their lightest word
could create In the family circle,
knew the dread with which their bad
moods were Witnessed by Nom and
Dad, they might be more merciful.
Later on, when the girl and boy
are grown and married, they begin
to gain a little sense. They begin
then, shyly, awkwardly and incom-
pletely, to apologize to their elders.
Margaret, struggled with small
house, small income, small baby,
laughs In embarrassment as she
thanks her mother for some small
favor.
You're such a darling to come
sit with him and let me go to the
luncheon, Mother" she says. ST
often Think wonder-perhaps this
is silly. But were Tom and I awful
pigs when we were growing up? !
think of my bills now, and how aw-
full it'll be if the baby gets sick or
needs something"
Her mother laughs in answer, and
says reassuringly that Tom and
Margaret were always little angels.
No use to hurt them today by re-
calling their old stubbornness and
selfshness.
The Sons Appreciation.
dad, you were always an awful
good sport to US kids" Tom is say
ing at about the same time. Now
that I've got kids of my own al
ways wanting something and rails
ing the roof if they can't have it, I
remember the way Peg and I used
to carry on when we wanted money,
or tennis rackets-"
''Well, we always did the best we
could for you, son" Dad says cheer
fully. He hasn't forgotten; he and
Nom will always wear the scars.
But the children have grown up fine
and good, and bygones may well
be bygones.
And IN the same way he and Nom
would remember it if just once in
those long-ago days the girl or boy
had seen their problem, had sensed
the loving desire they felt to give
their children every advantage and
luxury, had pitied the shame this
loving father and mother expert
enced when they had to say mo"
The years when we have our par
ents are not always long years. And
when they end, and one says dazed-
ly, "Mother-mother is deadi" it is
wonderful to remember that instead
of treating their burdens as some
thing entirely removed from our
selves, we shared them, and helped
carry them, and made them lighter.
A Challenge to Youth.
And so I challenge every Ameri-
can boy and girl who reads this to
stop and think this morning. Ask
yourself, do I know what my IA
Tiers worries, what my mothers
worries, are, and is there anything
I can do about it?" It may be that
their chief worry is you, yourself,
and their fear that your girlhood or
boyhood won't have enough fun in
it. Enough frocks and trips and
parties and good times. It may be
that to have you suddenly turn gay
and philosophical, to have you quite
Unexpectedly express yourself as
satisfied with life, will make all the
difference between shadows and
sunshine, to them
A few weeks ago when I was
standing at counter, waiting for