Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 184, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1914 — Laura Jean Libbey's Talks on Heart Topics [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Laura Jean Libbey's Talks on Heart Topics

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JUST TO BUIT THE GIRLB. •Without our hopes, without our fears, Without the home that plighted love endears, Without the. smile from partial beauty won. Oh! what were m&n7 A world without a sun."

Where there are a houseful of girls many a father may declare with truth that he does not

know where he is at. The modest little cottage on the side street was good enough for the growing family for years. But ’ with the graduation of the first daughter everything changes. “We must move into a better n e i g h b o rhood” the mother declares emphatically. Before the head of the house can raise a protest his wife adds

quickly, “This place has done very well up to the present.” “As long as it suits us and has suited us from the day I brought you here a bride, I refuse to budge an inch —just because it? would please the girls .to make jt-change,”. declares Ihe. father.

“We owe it to our daughters to do the best we can by them,” urges the wife. ‘*We must find a place by May moving day. I have already signified that we don’t want this house any longer. The landlord has rented it and new tenants move in May 1.” Despite father's explosive language he has to scurry about to find a new home. There’s two of the girls in the market. That means a double parlor. There must be a porch as well, for summer sparking, a well-appointed dining room on the first floor, for the general run of young men include dining time with courting time. Before father gets through with his calculating, he finds that the new domicile requires a couple of servants. The old-fashioned furniture which did duty while the girls were growing must go to the second-hand shop. Mother declares she won’t have a stick of it about the house to shame the girls. Pa makes an eloquent, manly plea to save the carpet around which so many fond memories cluster. It was the first thing they saved up money for when they went to housekeeping. He is quickly frowned down. Ma declares the parlors must have hardwood floors and handsome rugs, which can be rolled up and put aside when fashionable dances are held at the house. "The girls must entertain, no matter how we pinch and save for It,” she says. Pa sighs and wishes they were all boys. But when the girls run up to him, fling their soft arms about him, press their sweet young lips to his, he wouldn’t exchange those girls for sons if each one of them was a crowned king. One glance into the girls' happy eyes and he feels that he could make any sacrifice to suit them. The birdlings are not in the home nest for long. Why remain In a house that don’t please the daughters? There’ll be a great deal of May flitting, but change of scenes, sight of new faces, will be exhilarating as new wine to the old folks. For the girls it will bring new romances—another blithing by the next May.