The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1942-02-14

needs Of any serious minded girl
which this one didn't happen to be.
She finally found q Job. and very
good one, but she was little care
less about telling her father about
1t, so the income kept coming
along. Finally she got around to
telling her father, but by shading
the actual figures Of her pay check,
she kept receiving the weekly sti-
pend from him.
Ruined by Money
Too much money Just about
ruined this young woman. She &C
quired not only luxurious habits
but some luxury-loving hangers-on
who were always free to meet her
at fashionable bars and places
where young people congregate to
dance and be seen. She also &C
quired q stable wardrobe and q
very stable taste for cocktails.
However, in surprisingly short
time our young woman found her
self In all manner Of difficulties
with her father, who was beginning
to suspect that the career girl was
nothing Of the sort, but just play
girl whose love Of what she called
life was not sufficiently elastic to
include work. In fact. she was en-
tirely too busy going places to turn
up at the subscribed office hours. so
before very long she was dropped
from the payroll.
Without following her rapid de-
scent. It seems only necessary to say
that her father became SO COM
pletely discouraged trying to make
her see the folly Of her way that he,
too. dropped her from his payroll.
leaving the young woman very
much on her own and completely
united for q swift climb to the
point she started at. She had also
acquired considerable number Of
debts, not only at shops where she
had the benefit OF her fathers
credit. but at bars where she had
the doubtful benefit Of charging
such food and drink as her hanger
on friends helped her consume. She
Is now trying to get in the clear by
telling hard luck stories to her
fathers friends, who, Of course,
come to her rescue, not for her
sake so much as to spare her father
the humiliation Of knowing what
has befallen his daughter.
Most Of them seem to feel that a
too-indulgent father Is to blame for
the girls plight. Had he not kept
sending money to her. she could not
have lived as she did, they argue.
II she had to get q Job and live on
the money she earned she would
have learned the value OF money.
ETC.. etc.
Who's to Blame?
There is certainly more than a
germ Of truth in these opinions. but
how do they feel about the fathers
reputation of her now? That's
what want to know. II his was the
fault. has he the right to withdraw
his support from her now when she
is so very dependent on him?
Should he pay her debts? Should
he send her q weekly sum until
such time as she can get herself
another Job? Why, I wanted to
know, doesn't he ask her to come
back home?
Parents must face the fact that
their attitude toward their chill
dren, Is in q measure to blame for
their failure. This girl is q vain.
foolish creature with weakness In
her somewhere. but Is she entirely
to blame? And having been spoiled.
as she undoubtedly was, why does
not her father, heartbrokcn though
he may be. see that he helped,
rather than hindered. her on
ward path?
The story OF the Prodigal Son Is
q familiar enough one, and the
story of the Prodigal Daughter Is
getting to be almost as familiar.
What the reasons were, In this par
ticular case, for the girl wanting to-
leave home In the f1rst place are
unknown to me, but I'd like to ven-
ture that she felt herself In the way.
A widower, as was this man, with a
grown daughter on his hands might
ind her something OF 9 problem.
even nuisance. Maybe this daugh-
ter felt this and worked herself into
q self-pitying frame Of mind. mag
lining that no one cared what be-
came of her or that she was not
necessary to anyone'S happiness. q
DANGEROUS frame OF mind for any
woman. Father may wash his
hands Of her. but he Is no wiser In
making this decision than In over.
indulging her In the flrst place.