The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-22
HER POINT OF VIEW.
yhe Homo Men Want and which Their
Wives Should Give Them.

MIC xtOUlo uhen want anu winch IAOtr
Wives Should Give Them.
e. G. Gardiner said once in print: .Un-
less you can make your house something
more than a workship or a showcase it
will always be good deal less than
home" a mans home is usually not
his workshop. 1t is his wife's; it is also
her showcase. There is great tempta-
ton here-and many women succumb-
to forget that the roof over ones head
contains more than these two things
that it is first of all and above all home.
Still more than that, although the house
keeper takes good cafS of it, performs
her daily toll within it and adorns it to
the best of her taste and ability, it does
not belong exclusively to her.
1t is quite true that in all essentials
most men are really nothing more than
guests among their families. They use
the house to eat and sleep in and to
spend their evenings and holidays in, if
the place be agreeable to them. This is
no more than sort of visiting. They
have no chance to 1.-Two in the house they
are working hard to keep up. This
thought should be q plying one and
serve with those upon whom their ell
tertainment rests to make that time,
short at the best, as pleasant as for any
other conner. But it never should-as
it sometimes does-cloud the fact that it
is his home, and that he has equal rights
therein.
When that tired man comes home Mt
night, he certainly deserves to find await
ing him at least one orderly, quiet room,
where hs.fan read his paper in comfort
and smo&n the pipe of peace. 1 have seen
householders yawning YEARLY through
out an evening i'll IL stiff, elegantly fur
nished parlor, where they dared not smoke
on account of the curtains and where
they had not so much as an easy chair in
which to recline, or in cluttered, cramp-
ed apartment" riotous with babies
and superintendent by disheveled pee
wish wife. And in neither case, with all
sympathy and understanding for the lat
ter, have seen any valid excuse for
this. 1t was because 'he" was good
natured and would stand it. The re-
ward of virtue was that he was obliged
to stand it.
In his wooing days such reception
would have been impossible. There are
good many reasons-but not one of
them is ordinarily acceptable-why it is
possible now.
a man deserves, repeat, one comfort
able corner. He has earned the right
to smoke in it and put up his feet and
wear slippers and bury himself in his
paper. This may not be particularly
jolly for the lady who sits, with her sew
ing, on the opposite side of the table
10, l..
have acted thus in his wooing days. Oh,
but let her be patient when she remem-
bers that this is all the part that he can
claim in ''all the comforts of home"
Another thing: Perhaps the same good
lady on the other side of the table is
busy with her crocheting, where one has
to count and is prone to lose the thread
of the conversation, or she NAV feel so
overweighted with her domestic cares.
poor soul, that she doesn't find time to
keep up with the news of the day.
haven't much patience with that. but l
don't wonder under such circumstances
If the good man is uncommunicatiye.
do not speak at random in asserting that
the busiest person rarely fails to make
time" for what he ardently desires.
Wo slSlerS-ln-laW Know lament, half
laughingly, that their husbands go rath-
er than to them to ''mother and the
girls with every item of interest. There
is food for reflection in the fact. Mother
and the girls are as enthusiastic politi-
clans, for example, as themselves. Their
wives are not. l never saw the lnan yet
who wouldn't talk to woman if she had
anything pleasant to say i'll return.
There is also food for reflection in the
query, How many women care anything,
except specifically and ignorantly,
about politics: Yet it is the one absorb
ing subject with many men. How many
understand, or wish to, their husbands
business? Then what should they have
i'll common: Think of these things.
RUTH HALL.