p. 3- We were at a gathering of women the other day and were, as usual, discussing our children. One modern mother gave us the following oration:

"I can't understand our Greek women. They are just as they were when they came from Greece, with their old-fashioned ideas of keeping house and raising children.

"I have known Mrs. X since the day she arrived in the United States and she hasn't changed a bit. Her main purpose in life is to be a good housekeeper and mother with only an occasional party for enjoyment. In other words, she isn't a woman of our times. She isn't living. She isn't getting the most out of life. She is so backward in this respect that I'm ashamed to admit that I know her.

"I like to live as the movie stars do, to flirt once in a while, to make men notice me, to go to shows and parties at night, to smoke and paint up, and to raise my children in my individual way.

"Mrs. X is heart and soul for her children. She advises them, she teaches them, she watches over them, and feeds them at regular intervals. Her home runs as a clock, it is so punctual and regulated.

"I am entirely different. I believe in freedom and progress. I don't pay much attention to my children, nor am I particular about their meals. When they were small I whipped them often so they would learn to dress themselves, and I would leave them alone even when they cried. Now they are no bother to me at all.

"I know many women who speak carefully to their children never scolding in an angry voice. I say that children must mind their elders and in order to do so they must be spoken to in other than a sweet voice. My little Helen is very bright, when I say 'Skasmos' ('Shut up') she knows what it means and says, 'You shut up, mamma.'"

Mrs. X then leaned back in her seat well satisfied with herself, not realizing the agony we were going through to hear one of our sisters speaking thus on modernism and children. We are lucky the number of 3such women is small. They have exaggerated the undesirable American habits of the modern day till even Americans would like to repudiate them.

If the so-called modern mother keeps these practices up, she will become a stranger in her own home. As her children grow older, they and their father will be ashamed of her. She can go to parties now, but in her old age she will be left alone in her misery.

That is not the way for Greek mothers to conduct themselves! Do your duty conscientiously every day as you see it. You will never regret it.