Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-24


One Of the most noticeable things about o.
summer watering-place life Is the presence Of 80
large number OF wives unattended by their
husbands The great majority Of the married
women at some of the fashionable resorts either
see their lords ut only long intervals or for day
or two OF the week merely. The man may nut
IN an appearance on SATURDAY. but he Is likely
10 depart 10y an early train on Monday or no
may make much rarer visits. vet the wife 10
absent IRON town FOR perhaps two months
and In many cases from July to October . . .
me entire unconcern which American mar
rleo couples show in regard 10 this matter Of
long separations, the anicable terms ON
winch they part, no ripple apparently dis
turning the surface OF their conjugal life are
the wonder OF many foreign observers There
are IN Paris and other places OF continental
Europe large colonies OF American wives In
sound health, who have put the ocean between
themselves and their lords and vet TIN
separated pairs seem TO be on the best OF terms-
The Europeans cannot understand such Ameri-
can ways. They marvel that American hus-
bands are so accommodating
At our watering places You viii see blooming
matron with daughters beside whose beauty her
own appears not unfayorahly. She has with her
the family eQupage. her man servant and her
maids; but we miss her husband Mother and
girls reyel in the delights OF the fashionable
resort. They could not fare better IL they
were duchesses. They could not he freer II
they were the possessors OF great fortunes I'm
their own right. And Yet every cent they spend
comes out OF the pocket of man who ID
busy in town. and enjoys the proud satis-
Iactlon OF calling the gorgeous matron his
wife and the fairy beings his daughters
That he should care to bask In the sunshine
oil fashion which surrounds the gentle members
oil ms household does not occur to them. In
deed they well know that nothing would bore
him more than their life. And yet ought not the
Old man who sets all this magnihcence I'm motion
10 have his wife and daughters about him tn
smooth the wrinkles made by the toll their state
renders necessary? Surely the master OF tho
house ought TO have his fun as well as the
rest. even If they have TO sacrifice their love
OF display, and To accommodate themselves
To his ways, dull and old-fashioned though
they may be, I'm order to give II TO him.
he Is not mere machine for grinding out
money for the others benefit. The advantages
ought not to be all on one side Besides n
gives great dignity to family party at Mount
Desert, at Saratoga. at LenoN i'm the Adiron-
dacks, or at Long Branch TO have substantial
grey-haired man at its head. AT least so Il
seems when we observe the families at Eu-
| ropean watering places. Even suppose the
Journey is delayed so that the old man NAV 60
along; that is not the worst thing that could
happen, by any means. The children will ac-
quire greater respect and affection for the
father if his wishes and his happiness are con-
suited in all things, and respect for paternai
authority might well be further cultivated in
our prosperous country.
But young married women without children
and without husbands appearing at their side
may also be seen at our watering places. They
Seem to behave discreetly. it is true: but would
1T not look better if they found places for their
summer stay to which their lords could fire.
quently and constantly come. even il they were
less satisfactory to the desire Of the wives for
novelty? 1t PROFESSIONALLY looks very very
bad when We know that the cost Of maintaining
the wife in the fine attire she deems requisite
| and at the fashionable resort where she aspires
to shine is so great that the poor husband can
| only meet 1t by deving in town at a desk the
summer through. 1t is better to preserve the
illness of things than to make grand appear
| ance We all know