Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-02-13
Wrecked Homes.

Every now and then the world is
shocked by a tragedy resulting from n
weak minded woman's infatuation for
some man other than her husband.
Homes are wrecked and husband and
children are deserted, as in the case of
that jail warden's wife i'll Allegheny coun,
IT, who threw away all that decent WON
en- prize to risk her lot with couple OF
worthless murderers. Or, as in that re-
cent Jersey trial, wherein n wife is ac-
cused OF conniving at her husbands death
in order to indulge her infatuation for II
brainless, colorless youth of immature
age.
When the pictures of the men response
bic for these tragedies appear in the
newspapers, and their general character,
or lack of character, is become public
property, the world turns away in scorn-
full disgust, wondering ''what there was in
him to make her do it,"
Adonis, or any gay and handsome Lo-
thario-ah! says the world, we might un-
derstand ii then; even though we could
not forgive. But match this homely. in
significant, tiabby-souled fellow against
her husband, and anybody with half an
eye can see that the latter weighs heavi-
est in the scale of merit, from every
point of view, except that of the woman.
who is blinded by her infatuation
That there is something radically
MIOHS With woman OF tuaE stamp Is
the general verdict. Yet it must be adj
mitted-and the evidence in such cases
frequently shows-that before her fall
she was faithful wife.
But the evidence does not usually show
that she was happy wife.
Now, is there in that statement any ex-
PLANTATION of her strange perversion of
taste and morals? No excuse, certainly
but Just a little light on the cause of her
strangely mistaken couducf
Some women-rather the majority If
women-are born with an innate craving
for affection. There is no naturaIheart-
/ cd woman on earth who marries merely
for a home, with its food and shelter at,.f
clothing. She wishes to be loved, and r.
be told that she is loved, in a thousand
wordless ways, and in actual words as
well. When she marries she imagines
/ this exquisite desire of her dreams has
| come to pass. Often, alasi she awakens
to find her rosy dreams turned to ashes
and bitterness. Her husband is pro-
sale, good-enough chap, who gives her a
\ home in return for her services as house
maid, seamstress, laundress, cook and 80
on. But he has no further time to waste
| in telling her that she is necessary to
1 his existence. She is to draw that con-
! clusion fIom the avidity with which he
calls upon her for countless services and
! the fact that he gives her food and cloth
{ Ing which cost actuai money.
! 1t takes either a woman of strong char.
/ acter or woman of no, character at all
to adjust herself to this state Of affairs.
4 But the woman with just enough heart
to crave affection and not enough moral
strength TO rule herself, will fan when
temptation comes. Contrasted with the
cold, matter-of-fact atmosphere of her
home. the language Of love on the lips
Of the veriest idle-pated, good-for-nothing
sounds like the accents of the code. The
semblance of an affection for her would
transform Beezlebnb himself into tn,
angel Gabriel.
Such is this poor. foolish little yearn
ing to be cared for inherent in the femi
nine heart. That very quality which is
woman's greatest safeguard in a hap
ny. love-flled home, becomes her sore s.
temptation in a home whence love has
fed ard life becomes hard and material
They say "men can make an eneamp
ment, but only woman can make
home" But it takes a man to make
home, too: and if he is blind TO the neces
sity of contributing his share Of il
sweetness and light" the sin Of hi
erring wife is to he, not condoned-heav
en forbid.-but somewhat better compre
hended, as demanding that pity shouii
mir lie with the condemnation Of thos
who are happy sind sin noi.-Phiiadelphi
Evening Bulletin.