The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-06-07
THEIR I1IAslS PARENT


|.THEsIlTsA LIAM PARENT
PovERTY$ AND EsosPlTALrTY oFs T.E -.EE;5
MIDDLE CLASS; MAN.
A. n Faith err He 1s Model of Self
Sacrifice and Literally Lives WIKI
His Chi1dren-F4is Amusementn Out
side of HIS own Siome.
In all Europe tie most naligned
country and nationality are Italy and
the Italians With regard to the upper
middle and middle class man. OF 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.
Aristocratic 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 aggrarations
are many his retaliations are few.
To those who look on from the
heights of foreign superiority it is
continual wonder that he does not
break out ofteneT than he does ConGi-
tons of course have much changed in
the last quarter of a century. There is
more money and consequently more
comfort. bua also greater necessities
and demands. The upper middle clasS
husband works. as the American
would say. like Niger" but at last
he is begin ming to see some return for
his abor in the way Of increasing
wealth.
What would the Englishman say if
he We're obliged to be in his office at 5
a. M. with an hour for dinner. and
then on until 6. or even 8 p. M. as
the case may be?
His evenings after dinner. if 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 unspcakable or at q cafe
Now. the cafe is bu@bear to most
English speaking people. the mere
word conveying something fearsome
and dangerous. What Englishwoman
considers her husband lost to respecta-
bility beca he goes to the club.
which costs him many pounds year
and where he can drink and gamble If
so inclined? Yet she will shudder at
the cafe. where one spends at the most
a 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 30 to Il reception or TWO. This
makes up the life of the richer middle
class husb., I'D. whose meals are apt 20
be Gscrderiy. his children unrUly and
his wife aHection3te. but eEHctins.
The more modest type Of the midd!"
class husband. whose means ar" as n
rule very limited. will make money go
further He will have perhaps from f2
to f3 Il week and with. this will. support
n wife and from three TO SIX children
in such way as to show no signs of
real poverty. Els house Will have few
comforts, his food will be of the sim
pleSt. while his widest diversion viii
be an occasional visit to cafe and his
habitual one q walk along the Corso or
stroll on the P:rc;o to hear the band
play.
1t must BE taken into cons;dera ton
that if his house. is bare It is flooded
with the sunshine which only Italy
provides. and il 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 its simplicity. ans:
Will make it seem 4 feast by his co.
diality and high spirits. He welcomes
friends in tie eteninS in his family
circle and is in the habit of returnin.
such visits.
But where the middle class man
both rich and poor. shines above his
fellows is as Z father. He Will N Ike
any sacrifices for his children and
what is r1-er. lives with them. SO TO
speak. and enters into their daily life.
No slowing away in the nursery with
Coverness fcr his children! y nurse
there is but he and the chidren'S
mother think of everything. send the
youngsters to the public school and
overlook their lessons at night If
there is q nurse she is usually q 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 attra ctive be-
cause overindulged. but later their
manners are charming. because they
are always with their parents, and
they thus unconSciOuSly learn ease OF
manner and graccfulneSS of speech.
n 3 t,1; ~