Page:Hermione and her little group of serious thinkers (1923, c1916).djvu/128

 PARENTS, AND THEIR INFLUENCE

AMMA is unadvanced enough, goodness knows!

But poor, dear Papa!

"Papa," I said to him the other day, "all conservatives worth listening to were radicals in their youth." The loveliest man told us that the other night—our Little Group of Serious Thinkers, you know—and it struck me as being profound.

And isn't profundity fascinating?

But Papa only glowered and said, "Umph!"

Papa, you know, is an obstructionist.

"Papa," I said to him, "what is stubbornness in you has become will power in me. You will never dominate me—never! You should study heredity; it's wonderful, simply wonderful!"

Papa scowled and said "Umph!"

But you know, Parents are Doomed.

Our little group listened to a talk the other evening about Parents. Mothers, particularly.

"The Menace of the Mother," it was called. I always make note of titles.

This man said—he was a regular savant—I wish [114]