The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-12-10
THE AMERICAN WE.
IL This n True Picture of Her Attitude
Toward Her Husband?


IL This n True Picture OF Her Attitude
Toward Her Eusband?
But the American wife? Henry
James has summed up the American
wife In just one sentence. He says:
The American wife knows nothing
of her husbands affairs-except that
they are Of not the slightest conse-
quence."
This is both eplgrammatic and ex-
actly true. The American wife has
quite genuine affection for her hus-
band. Even after years of marriage
have gone by. she thinks OF him with
unaffected friendiness. He is 50 use
ful. She credits him with almost all
the virtues. except perhaps the virtue
OF being interesting and she overlooks
that one defect of his with charitable
liberation. She sees him come and go
each day with clock-like regularity.
She vaguely knows what his profess
sion or vocation Is. She thinks bet
ter of him If 1t Is a profession or vo-
cation that is generally regarded az
quite creditable; but this is practical.
-
sces him rising early and hurrying to
his office. She hears him sitting late
into the night in TIE room overhead;
and she is probably aware that he Is
immersed in a great sea of papers and
documents Of some kind or other
tiresome and stupid things that he will
persist in bringing home and fussing
over.
She finds that he must sometimes
stay in town all through the summer
when the thermometer is in the nine
ties and when the sickly heat sweats
on the very walls or sizzles on the
pavement. She thinks It very incon-
siderate Of him to do this. She would
really rather have him go with her to
the cool, windswept nook that she Sc
lects for her own summers outing.
Just why he does not 60, she cannot
possibly imagine.
II Is ono of the curious, irrational
traits which ne possesses and which
prevents her from taking him quite
seriously. Perhaps he will run up there
for day or two; and when he does
come she Is very nice to him, apart
from scolding him a little for getting
SO hideously thin and sallow. But he
Is not particularly comfortable there.
He follows her meekly into the dining
room three times day for a while.
and then he has to go back to what
ever II Is that he does in town. Just
what II is she doesn't know. The
household bills are paid; the checks
come to her regularly. She does the
things she likes to do. and sometimes
dimly recognizes the fact that 1t is
pleasant to have somebody to see that
her various projects and arrange
ments all come out SO nicely. Her hus-
band is really quite what husband
| ought to be. He does his duty perfectly,
| and she has a very accurate notion of
what that duty is. To provide what
| ever she requires, to fetch and carry
out her bidding, to leave her absolute
ly FREQ from care, responsibility or
worry-such is the whole duty of the
American husband.
And then, she Is so very sure OF
him! 1t never enters her head that he
has anything to wish for, that he can
possibly be conscious of void some
where in life, or experience even the
faintcst stirring of dissatisfaction;
that he could ever imagine anything
different from what he has; that he
might ever dream of an existence
where he should be something better
than the household banker, glorified
butler, superior maitre d'hotel. She
is absolutely satisfied with herself
and absolutely sure of him. She does
not want another kind of husband, so
why should he desire different sort
of wife?-Ainslee's Magazine.