The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-05-08

were not MADE MRS. MARTIN
TO live alone,
even less were women" When that
profound truth was originally ut
tered, the word used was not men
but man, which embraces all OF
mankind, and clearly means that
neither man nor woman was meant
to live alone.
Young Now Affected
The problem of the lonely woman
is only new because 1t now affects.
not just widows, Divorces and spin
sters. but young girls. This Is how
Margaret Banning expresses 1t:
The difference today Is that
loneliness is no longer merely tie
problem Of the spinster, the widow.
the Divorce, and the woman who
lives In remote places. The gayest
and prettieSt young girls face 1t.
Brides see 1t staring at them from
the altar. Girls who are used to
dates, who had steady fellows, girls
who like to dance or to go TO show
two or three times a week, have no
escorts. Young women who took It
for granted - and with reason -
that they would be making a home
for themselves this year, are back
with their parents. or living on in
the apartment until the lease runs
out, without the man who was to
share It. Wondering where he is.
"A great wave Of loneliness Is
inevitable"
It's perfectly obvious that the
only relief lonely soul can find is
in work or in the Companionship OF
sympathetic persons. Even the
worker has to stop some time and
hang up her hat somewhere and b,
met at her own door by silence and
fear.
- A great deal is being done to
amuse and divert the men in the
service and to ease their loneliness,
but the girls they left behind have
to fend for themselves. How we'll
they succeed depends. Of course. on
the amount Of mettle the girl has
and what resources she has within
herself.
Our author thinks that, IN
many ways we are still Victorian
about the matter Of escorts. Girls
in small cities imagine that in
New York It is different: but in
New York and Chicago It is not so
very different. A girl who wants
music with her meals once in
while has hard time finding "a
place where she can go and not
feel queer If she is by herself.
Women and girls are also, in
many cases, still reluctant to speak
to stranger lest they be misun-
derstood. That Is nonsense in a
country at war"
OF course It is, but 2 lonely girl
isn't always Judge Of character,
besides which she Is Super-sensi-
tive and not at all sure of her abil-
ity TO take care OF herself.
Seek Women Friends
II isn't pleasant to go about
alone, nor is 1t always pleasant to
pal around with women, but these
are the approaches of the lonely
woman and 1t may, If she is lucky.
lead to some social contacts that
are stimulating, If not romantic.
The girl who is alone, war or no
war now gets the breaks: She his
plenty of company, so is not con-
spicuous because Of her lack OF
escort.
what would you say TO a young
lSh widow who declined with thanks
tickets for a very nice concert be-
cause she had no male escort? But
why | asked her, cant you take
a woman friend?" She replied. i've
never gone around to places like
that without man and I'm not
going TO begin now" Which. to me
seemed absurd since there are
plenty Of women with husbands
VINO leave them at home to amuSe
themselves to their liking. If their
liking doesn't happen to include
going 10 concerts. The woman who
thinks being seen without a male
escort Is a reflection on herself is
not very modern in her attitude to-
ward lie. ! am sure that womh
VINO definitely prefer masculine TO
feminine society enjoy a night ont
with q woman friend once in a
Whlle, which really hasn't much to
DO with the case Of the War-WidoW.
Her loneliness is with her wher-
ever she Is because It is in her
heart and there's nothing she can
DO about 1t. It's her contribution to
the war.
Mrs Banning's conclusion is
mat, The men can take it. And
the women can too. For wars are
won by men and women who can
win The first battle against changed