The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-13
THE STAR B0ARDER.

Judgment. The other day he was CALI
ed to pass upon the marital woes of a
young couple who testified that they
led a cat and dog life together, and
that they could only agree to disagree.
The case was complicated, as divorce
cases are apt to be. by the fact that
there were children whom both par
ents desired to keep, and whom the
father must support. In this dilemma,
the wise judge advised that instead
of separating, the warning parties go
back homo and see If they could not
get along more peaceaby with the
man occupying the altered status OF
star boarder. instead of husband.
The idea is one so luminous with
good, hard common sense that II sug-
gests its extension with notifications
and alterations to fit the case. into
other households which are still long
ways on the sunny side of the divorce
court, but whose chickering's are sufti-
GENTLY frequent to keep them perpet-
ual storm centers. The greatest charm,
as well as the greatest misfortune, of
family life is its continual association,
its intimacy and lack of reserve. When
this means a love and sympathy so
acute that il divines, as If by instinct,
our every thought and feeling; when
it means o comradeship so true and
so congenial that it doubles every
pleasure and halves our pains, heaven
has given us its best gift, and we may
we'll be thankful for it. When II sim
ply means that because person is kin
to us, or married to US, they feel that
ii gives them liberty to offer us in
eulting criticisms. and tell us unpleas-
ant truths. as they would not dream
of doing to stranger, 1t can make
the family circle about as good an
imitation of an uncomfortable place as
anyone need desire to see. There are
many people who reserve their bad
manners. as they do their old clothes,
for home wear and there is no doubt
that in many families an element of
formality could be introduced as a
peace measure, with beneficial results.
From the womans side of the sub
ject there are various things to rec
ommend a husband in the role of star
boarder. For one thing, 1t offers a
satisfactory way of laying that spec
ter that haunts so much domestic life
the financial problem. Sordid as it
seems, it Is nevertheless true that the
money question is just as disturbing
in the home and just as provocative
of row as it is in national politics.
1t is Mrs. Benedicts persistent and
continual demand for money for the
butcher. and baker. and candlestick
maker, and AIR. Benedict's tart replies
in consequence, that precipitates nine
tenths of the arguments that end by
Mr.. B. tanning his hat on his head
and slamming the front door behind
him M i've ant no ka
wishes she had never left her mo-mo-
mother.
In no other thing are men so un-
logical and unreasonable as in the way
they treat their wives about money
Every man, worthy of the name, ex-
poets to support his family when he
gets married. In reality, he probably
does not object to doing it. He is per-
fectly we'll aware that servants must
be paid, supplies for the table pur-
chased, clothes bought, and that chill
dren are apparently born for the sole
purpose of enriching the shoemaker
and the school book publisher. Yet,
knowing all this, about half the men
you know seem to take II as a per-
sonal injury and grievance when their
wives come to them for money for
the common family needs. Great
snakes, you want wash money again?"
they cry. What, the ice out againl
You need a half dollar to pay for get
ting Johnny's shoes mended BY
George, believe you think I am made
of money!" and alas, for human frail-
ty, the woman is more than apt not
to return the humble answer that
extracts money and turns oway wrath,
but to remark, instead, that IL she was
a miracle worker, and could run a
house without money, she wouldn't be
working for any man for her board
and clothes-she would be Secretary
of the Treasury.
There are plenty of such homes
and the men in them are not necessa-
rily mean. only thoughtless and in
Observation-Disclosures every single item
of expense is argued out at as much
length as if it was a government ap-
preparation bill, and where a pair of
shoes can't be bought for the baby, or
a calico frock for the wife, without a
debate that is hot enough to leave
blister. The inevitable result is con-
tinual friction that spells disaster to
the family, and the very best thing
any woman under such circumstances
can do is to take her husband as a
boarder, charge him enough to run the
house on, and spend the money in
peace and as she pleases. AS long as
she makes him comfortable ne has no
more right to interfere in her man
agement than he would with any other
landladys methods. Women confide
too much, anyway. There is no earthly
use in telling beforehand everything
one thinks she is going to do. partic-
ularly If il is liable to be objected to.
DO 1t first. and discuss 1t afterwards.
Saw wood and say nothing, is a wise
motto for wives as we'll as politicians.
Another advantage that many wom-
en- would gain If they could induce
their husbands to regard themselves
more in the light of a boarder. and
less in the light of a boss, would be a
very superior article of manners to
that to which they are now accus-
toned. No man would think, for a
minute, that because he paid his board
it would give him a right to sneer
at his landlady's opinions, deride her
views, and ridicule her sentiments.
These are privileges that matrimony
alone bestows upon man, and many
a woman's fondest dream OF happi-
ness is to wish that her husband was
as polite to her as he Is to other la
dies. He will listen with apparently
absorbed attention while another wom-
an airs her views on the japanese
war; he is quick enough to respond Ia
another woman's wtticism, but let his
wife undertake to expound the political
situation. or tell a story, and he hasn't
the slightest hesitation In shutting her
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