Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1947-12-05
By KATHLEEN NORRIS

year-olo glrl' syplcai VI
i i the problems of so many
teen-agers that it seems to me
worthy of consideration, despite
its obvious immaturity.
Everything about my life is
ideal, and it's not good enough"
writes Shirley Wilson of Los An
geles. "I'm 16, my half-brother is 9.
Mother divorced my father when
was seven; I see him sometimes
and like him well enough; but my
stepfather is swell, too. I am very
ambitious, play the piano, sing and
dance above the average, and am
considered pretty. We have not
much money; get an allowance OF
So a week. Mother buys me very
few clothes, and for extra pocket
money 1 sometimes can touch Doug,
my stepfather.
eff they would have sense enough
to let me stop school, l soon could
earn enough money to take care of
myself and buy the clothes I need.
know this, as I have been success
full in school dramatics, and have
been approached by talent scout
two separate times. Grown persons
do not realize how deeply girl suf-
fers when she feels opportunities of
all sorts slipping by her, and sees
girls her age making a success of
life. My mother was not so strict as
a girl herself, but she is very strict
with me, antagoniZing practically
all the boys who ever come around.
Useless Studies.
what I am studying in school
is completely useless - algebra,
French (Which I hate), Latin, his
tory and folk-singing Also we have,
of course, gym courses and games
such as tennis and basketball. Just
what all this nonsense ever will
mean to my later life cannot see.
Frankly, I don't wish to be either
French teacher or basketball pro-
fessional. Every grown person I
know has forgotten all that few
months after leaving school. What I
want to do is get job; will learn
more in a few weeks of real work.
l am really desperately restless and
unhappy, and hope you will consider
my problem seriously and help
me-"
Shirley, my dear, may well con-
slider your problem seriously, for it
is indeed grave indication of one
of our failures as parents and citi-
zens, and it is widespread.
That home is unsatisfying to youth
today, that restlessness and discon-
tent are breaking the hearts of thou
sands of American girls, is no secret
to American mothers. Girls escape
from home as soon as they can,
escape to face establishment and
encouragement of which they never
dreamed, escape to loneliness, be-
wilderment and mistakes, escape
very often to foolish young mar
riages, for which they have to pay a
heavy penalty.
Our shops are full Of quiet sales
women, our factories full of workers
who ran away from life at l6 and II,
and are awake now from the dream.
Unfortunate marriages, hard times,
money shortage, lost jobs. these are
their story. II have a little girl Of
TO-" says one of them, wrapping
gloves for the purchaser, perhaps
dreaming of how nice it would be to
be the purchaser, to go out into the
morning sunshine, have lunch down.
town and plan a cozy dinner for a
loved man and children.
my husband? - Well, he wasn't
any good, or l wasn't was only 10
when Carol was born; went back
to my mother. Keith never helped
much, and had to go to work."
Tragic Defeats.
"Sure l was in the movies; I won
a beauty contest that promised me
three jobs" says another 40-year.
old saleswoman, smiling Il had bit
parts - sometimes. l ran around