The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-01-21
. By KATHLEEN NORRIS
Bell syndicate-wNu Features.

0y M<A4 GzAEEV NONNAO
~IRST, keep your young sons
= and daughters away from
4 dangerous amusements
and associations; and
Second, provide them with
occupations and entertainment
enough to prevent their wanting
to enjoy forbidden things.
This sounds simple. But it is
actually the great and terrible
problem of parenthood in these
days. If it could be solved we
should hear less of juvenile de-
1inquency and youthful immo-
rality than we do.
It has always been a prob
lem. But it is more than ever
one now, with war Commissions, war
changes, war responsibility upset
Wing every town and city and vii
Yage and social group in the entire
nation.
Even when children have a good
devoted father and mother, good
home, church influences, proper
schooling, they sometimes break
away. The forces of independence
and rebellion are too strong. They
take chances with their eyes open;
they want to take chances. This
story is of a girl who took chances
and had her fun and wasn't to be
run by any old-fashioned rules of
decency or decorum. Her predica-
ment isn't a typical one; its very
unusualness makes it interesting.
Daughter Got Out Of Control.
Sylvia was about 16 when she be-
gan to worry her father and mother
out of their senses. They are quiet
people; they didn't feel equal to en-
pertaining Systematically for Sylvia,
seeing that she got to know a COM
Portable little group of friends, keep
ing her safely busy with her own
group. When they awakened to
what was going on it was too late,
by that time Sylvia was running
with dangerous crowd, and not to
be controlled. She was drinking and
smoking too much, she was out late
nights, asleep half the morning; she
was never quite sane, clean, sober
girl, always sleepy or hysterical or
intoxicated, always dashing from
one date to another, or rolled in
blankets sound asleep.
Some time ago she announced
that she was married. To whom?
Well, to a man her parents didn't
know. Violet and Bill had dared her
into it; it was sort of a "joke."
They'd all been drinking.
This was about four years ago.
After a few weeks of marriage,
Sylvia and her husband quarreled;
he enlisted in the army, disappeared
from the scene, and Sylvia returned
to her night-club life, more inde-
pendent than ever. She has regular
ly received money from Leo.
About two years ago Sylvia met
q fine man, whose friendship and
admiration had upon her the imme-
diate effect of developing the finer
side of her character. Everything
her father and mother ever had
hoped for her was realized; she
seemed at last to grow up. She
wrote at once to Leo asking for q
divorce, but there was no answer,
and when Paul was sent to de-
Tense plant in another city Sylvia
went with him as his wife. A beau
tiful girl was born to them, now
q fascinating little creature.
Last month, Leo came home,
famed but not disqualified for any
work. But while agreeing to divorce
Sylvia, he claims the child, Maureen,
as his, born while Sylvia was legally
his wife.
First Husband Demands Child.
This has staggered Paul and Syl-
via. They adore their child. They
shudder at the idea Of handing her
over to Leo, who processes no af-
lection for her, naturally resenting
her very existence. He is perfectly
willing that Sylvia shall return to