Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-14
HERE'S THE OTHER SIDE.
A-Woman Who Thinks That Men Do
Not Need Any More Considerations.


Not Need Any More Considerations.
To the Editor of The Evening STAR
In your issue of Saturday, October 4, ap-
pears, under the caption when the Days
Work is Over" one of those semi-annual
and exasperating articles containing ad-
vice to wives, mothers and sisters. I'M
doubtedy from the prolific brain OF one
who has been awfully disappointed IN NOT
being able to attain to either of the two
former It's one of the "always -meet-your-
husband with-a-smile'' sort-idiotic from
start to finish. eff wives and mothers
would try to supply something restful and
quiet on the arrival of the man of the fam
lily" sweetly sings this person of uncertain
years and enormous experience, no matter
their cares their perpleXities, their disap-
pointments, why, heaven would begin right
away.
Experience teaches most of the aforesaid
wives and sisters that the most "restfur'
thing they can do for the imam of the fam
ily," whose comfort and pleasure seem
alarmingly near and dear to this brimful-
of-advice person. whose greatest and most
deadly fear is the risk of having spinster
craven on her tombstone-the most rest
full thing, | repeat, is to feed the ami
NAL to rush the dinner on the table; that
as soon he has pitched his overcoat on
one chair, his hat and gloves on another
ana kicked MS ROlOSneS IN the Ulluulc VI tle
floor, he can assume the duties and privi-
leges belonging to or supposed to be eXclu-
sively the perQuisites of the imam of the
family" growl because the soup isn't i'm
macuately clear, the fish porgie instead of
Spanish mackerel, and groan ostentatiously
when he thrusts the carver into the roast
tough beef again.
Then this marvel of wisdom continues.
If women, no matter how busy they are,
nor what has appened during the day,
would arrange to spend an hour with their
husbands every evening''-Ye gods! that
absolutely takes ones breath. Let us con-
slider the usual evening recreation Of
those women who don't happen to live on
Connecticut or Massachusetts avenue.
Here is the day and evening of one of
that vast army of wives and sisters the
mothers are pointedly ignored in the lad
vice. who remisS in their duties to
the suffering man of the family and
this is a fair picture of the whole: She
rises in the early morning, moving softly
lest she disturb the man of the family,
hurries into the kitchen to see that Bridget
has the household machinery in motion,
wakes the children, washes, dresses and
serves them at breakfast, which being over
she gathers up the impedmenta of the
man of the family that he may not be
delayed, gets the children off to school and
then plunges into the everlasting round,
which needn't be recited here, of household
duties, 1.-The same, yesterday today and
forever" All these finished, she hurries
into her other jacket and dress for dinner,
ana tnat over, begins tneaNen save the
n7arkD her recreation" First, mending
Johnny's knckerbockers, which much mar
bic playing has brought to the verge of de-
struction; a rent in Ellen;s frock playing
tag, mending baby'S socks, which the
restless little toes have kicked into gaping
holes. Then Mary must be helped in her
arithmetic. lest she lose her promotion, and
Phil who is cropping among presidential
SUGGESTIONS, must be nipped in the bud
to Dewey being inaugurated into that office
Tuesday, October 3, 1899
Let us look after the man of the house."
poor soul, in all this time. Breakfast over,
he strolls leisurely to a sDick and span
office, enters with keen enjoyment on du-
ties neither varied nor burdensome, at noon
HES him to broiled lobster and beer or
champagne, and a poSt-prandial cigar,
straight from Cuba, at quarter each.
After dinner at home he picks up coat, hat
and gloves, and with Melissa, Jack wants
to go to the theater tonight and I've agreed
to go with him. sails airily out, to return
| at midnight or so, after petite souper''
with Jack and some friends, when the
days work is over" happily for poor, tired
Melissa.
This is a true picture of the lives of half
the women in the world, and when they
YEARLY slip away forever from that hour
of some sort of recreation with husband
this woud-be arbiter of what is due to the
man of the family mourns for his lonei-
ness, probably with dim hope for the
future, and in six months after helps Me-
lissa's successor to put that poor lady's
portrait, face in, as fire board in the
spare chamber CRATE. We are so weary of
the ''meet-your- husband-with smile wo-
man, but periodically she hobs up serenely
and can't strangle her. as we have a
fierce desire to do. Have mercy on US, dear
Mr.. Editor; do Danish the hours recrea-
ton fiend from your columns, lest we rise
up in our wrath and desperation and ''pi
your form" L have said my say. Verbum
sap. BETTY PRINGIE
October -, 1880.