The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-20

massachusetts has judge VINO IS,
in good truth, a second Daniel come
10 judgment. The other day he was
called 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 Wnom
both parents desired to keep, and
whom the father must support In
this dilemma the wise judge ADVISED
that instead of separating, the war
ring parents go back home and see II
they could not get along more peace
ably with the man occupying the al
tered status of star boarder, instead
of husband.
The idea is one so luminous with
good hard common sense that it sug-
gests it's extension, with notifications
and alterations to fit the case. into
other households which are still a long
ways on the sunny side of the divorce
court, but whose chickering's are suffi-
GENTLY frequent to keep them perpe-
tual storm centerS. The greatest
charm, as we'll as the greatest mis-
fortune, of family life is it's continual
association, it's intimacy, and lack of
reserve When this means a love ana
sympathy SO acute that it divines, as
if by instinct, our every thought ana
feeling; when it means a comradeshlp
so true and so congenial that it
doubles every pleasure and halves our
pains heaven has given us It's pest
gift and we may we'll be thanKIuI ioI
it. When it simply means that pe-
cause a person is kin to us or mar
ried to us they feel that 1t gives theil
liberty to offer us insulting critlclsills'
and tell us unpleasant truths, as
they would not dream of doing TO a
stranger. it can make the family circle
aho1t as good an imitation OF an un-
mentionable place as any one neeo
desire to see There are many people
who reserve their bad manners as
they do their old clothes. for nome
wear. and there is no DOUBT thdt III
many families an element OF formallty
could be introduced as a peace meas
IRE. with beneficial results.
From the woman's side of the SUD-
ject there are various things OF recon-
mend a husband in the role of star
boarder For one thing, it offers sat
isfactory way of laying that specter
that haunts so much domestic ire
the financial problem. Solid as II
saan7s il is nevertheless true that
the money question is just as disturb
ing in the home and just as proyoca-
tive of, a row as it is in national poll
ties. 1t is Mr.. Benedict's persistent
and continual demand for money for
: the butcher, and baker, and candle
stick maker and Mr.. Benedicts tart
replies in consequence, that preclp1-
tates nine-tenths of the arguments
that end by Mr.. B. jamming his hat
on his head and slamming the front
door behind him. and Mrs. b. sob
bling out that she wishes she had never
tell her o-mo-mother.
In no other thing are men so unlogi-
cal 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
perfectly we'll aware that servants
must be paid, supplies for the table
purchased, clothes bought, and that
children are apparently bosn Tor the
sole purpose of enriching the shoe
maker and the school-book publisher.
Yet, knowing all this, about haLf the
men you know seem to take it as a
personal 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 again!
You need q half dollar to pay for
getting Jonnny's shoes mended. By
George, / believe you think / am made
ty, the woman is more than apt not
TO return the humble answer that eX
tracts money and turns away wrath
but TO remark, instead, that if 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 Sec
rotary of the Treasury.
There are plenty of such homes
and the men in them are not necessa ri
ly mean, only thoughtless and incon-
siderate-Where every single item of
expense is argued out at as much
length as if it was a government APP
preparation bill, and where a pair
of shoes can't be bought for the baby,
of calico frock for the wife with
out debate that is hot enough TO
leave blister. The inevitable result
is continual friction that spells disas-
ter to the family. and the very best
thing any woman under such circum-