The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1904-06-01

POVERTY AND HOSPITALITY OF THE
MIDDLE CLASS MAN


Sacrifice and Literally Lives with
His children-IIir Amusements OUT
side OF His own lone.
In all Europe the most maiigned
country and nationality are Italy and
the Itillians with regard to the upper
middle and middle class man. or the
aristocrat there is nothing to be said.
| Competent authorities have declared
him to be neither better nor worse
than his compeers in other countries.
Aristocrsitic society is cosmopolitan.
! The middle class husband in Italy is
the most long suffering and hard
worked. one may venture to say. in all
Europe. and while his aggrayations
are many his retaliations are few.
To those who look on from the
heights of foreign superiority 1t is a
continual wonder that be does not
break out oftcner than he does Condi-
tions OF course have much changed IN
the last quarter of century. There Is
more money and consequently more
comfort, but also greater necessities
and demands. The upper middle class
husband works. as the American
would say. like a nigger,'' but at last
he is beginning to see some return for
his labor in the way of increasing
wealth.
What would the Englishman say If
he were obliged to be in his Office at s
a. M. with an hour for dinner. and
then on until 6. 7 or even p. M. as
| the case may be?
His evenings after dinner, IL he is
not too tired. which he often is. are
spent at the theater. or perhaps he will
| drop into the cafe. in the former case
invariably. accompanied by his wife
and in the latter perhaps. The accept
ed idea concerning the Italian man is
that he is a gay Lothario, spending his
days in idleness and his nights in
something unspeakable or at cafe.
Now, the cafe is a bugbear to most
English speaking people, the mere
word conveying something fearsome
and dangerous What Englishwoman
considers her husband lost to respecta-
bility because he goes to the club,
which costs him many pounds n year
and where he can drink and gamble IL
so inclined? Yet she will shudder at
the cafe. where one spends at the most
shilling an evening and plays moth
ing more exciting than game of DOM
mos. while the Italian never drinks to
excess. He will perhaps give few
dinners in the course of the winter
and go to a reception or two. This
makes up the life of the richer middle
class husband. whose meals are apt to
be disorderly, his children unruly and
his wife affectionate, but exacting.
The more modest type of the middle
| class husband, whose means are as a
rule very limited, will make money go
| further. He will have perhaps from f2
to f3 week and with this will support
wife and from three to six children
In such way as to show no signs of
real poverty. His house will have few
comforts, his food viii be of the sim
plest, while his widest diversion will
be an occasional visit to a cafe and his
habitual one walk along the Corso or
stroll on the Pincio to hear the band
play.
1t must be taken into consideration
that If his house is bare It is flooded
with the sunshine which only Italy
provides. and If he is cold he has only
to put himself in the sun. which is al
ways called the Italian stove" With
all his poverty he is hospitality itself.
He will invite people to his table, max.
ing no apology for it's simplicity. and
will inake it seem feast by his cor
| diality and high spirits. He welcomes
friends in the evening in his family
circle and is In the habit of returning
such visits.
But where the middle class man.
both rich and poor. shines above his
fellows is as father He will make
any sacrifices for his children and.
what Is rarer, lives with them, so to
speak, and enters into their daily life.
No slowing away in the nursery with
governess for-his childreni A nurse
there is, but he and the children's
mother think of everything, send the
youngsters to the public school and
overlook their lessons at night. II
there is nurse she is usually. for
eigner. either French or German, and
her duties are more to keep the chill.
dren clean and walk out with them
than anything else. Certainly Italian
small children are not attractive be-
cause overindulged, but later their
manners are charming. because they
are always with their parents, and
manner and gracefulness of speech.
or course the Italian husband is not
perfect. He has his faults, the chief
being tendency to take his pleasure
outside his own house. not TO be away
from his wife, as she often accom-
panies him, but because home is not
made particularly attractive or COM
Portable. He would stay at home were
this remedied. as is proved by his home
proclivities when he has an English or
American wife. Why are these mixed
marriages among the middle classes
such an unqualified success? Simply
because the gregarlous instincts of the
husband are met and satisfied by the
intelligent companionship of the most
successful home makers IN the world
London Telegraph.