When from time to time a girl of breeding and of family elopes with
an under-servant or a chauffeur, the unfortunate incident is hushed
up and the parents attribute the unhappy occurrence primarily to
some mental or moral twist in the young lady. They should seek the
fault in their own hearts and lives. It is the home life of England
that is responsible for a large portion of the misery that drives
the victims to open revolt. The children are not taught from the
time they can first speak to be perfectly frank and honest about
everything they think and feel. They are too often left in the care
of servants at an age when parental influence has the greatest
significance. On the rare occasions when they are permitted to enter
the august presence of their parents, they are often treated with a
combination of tolerant affection and imperial severity. Small
wonder the little ones in their development to adolescence evade
giving confidences that have neither been asked for nor encouraged.
They have to learn the great secrets of life and of nature from
either bitter experience or from the lips of strangers. Children and
parents grow up apart. It often takes a convulsion of nature or a
devastating scandal to awaken the latter to the full realisation of
their responsibility.
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