The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-05-16
BY KATHLEEN NORRIS
tBen syndicate-wNu Service,

y
1T TAKES a wise mother to
decide what is necessary to
her children's education and
what is not necessary.
Thousands of mothers waste
money, time and worry on non
essentials, meanwhile overlook
ing entirely a few simple things
that might make the difference
between failure and success in
their children's later lives.
One of the neglected things is
surely the grace of hospitality.
Girls and boys grow to woman
hood and manhood never know
ing it. Brides write me of their
shame when the beloved new
husbands show themselves awk-
ward and embarrassed in COM
pany. Or they write me of their
own agonies of shyness when
they are obliged to make the
slightest social effort.
Johnnie is doing wonderfully at
the office, being promoted, having
to entertain the boss and the boss
wife. And Mollie is frantic with
nerves at the prospect. She simply
cannot do it. Mrs. Watson has a
wonderful apartment in big hotel,
and anything that Mollie can do will
be so disgustingly sloppy and
crowded. If she gets Martha in,
Martha makes so many mistakes
with serving that it's worse than
nothing. Johnnie will have to take
them all downtown to dinner.
Mollie a Social Handicap.
Johnnie does this reluctantly.
Anyone can have dinner at the
hotel; the Watsons have lived in
hotels for years. It costs him more
than ten dollars, and it isn't great
success anyway. Mollie is stiff and
uncomfortable, looking unfamiliar
because of the unusual amount of
rouge on her cheeks and the new
hat, and old Watson says rather
wistfully that he would have liked
to have seen Johnnie's place and
Johnnie's baby.
Mollie hates herself for her shy
ness and stupidity but she just can't
help it. She can't help Johnnie. He
is handsome and smart and adj
mired, she knows she's holding
him back, not making friends for
him, not keeping step with him, but
it isn't her fault! She can keep his
house clean and raise his babies
and make him the pudding he likes,
but when it comes to sitting between
strange men at a dinner party-well,
it just gives Mollie chills to think
about it!
Mollie's children are lovely, and
she lives for them and their father.
Johnnie isn't promoted as fast as
the other men; he isn't the man
they pick for the management of
the California Office. No, there's a
lot of diplomacy to that job; John
ME would have to make friends, en-
terrain, join club. And Johnnie adj
mits himself that Mollie wouldn't
stand for it.
But he gets along, and she sees
that the children have dancing and
music lessons. schooling, athletics,
dental care. They must do their
homework conscientiously; they may
60 to movies. Saturday nights.
No Home ADJUSTMENTS.
She never asks their friends to the
house. She never works up pencil
games, makes cookies and grape
juice punch, curbs the chatterbox
of a daughter, encourages the
tongue-tied one. The children must
find their amusement outside their
own home. Mollie never learned to
play bridge; Johnnie loves it, but
she says she has no head for cards.
Betty and Stanley consequently
don't play cards either, they depend
ON movies and night clubs. Their
one thought at dinner is how soon
they can escape.
Here II letter from Mollie that
tells its own story.
II am 48. and never. having been
IN q position to buy handsome