The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-01-14
SIMPLE LIFE NOT
FOR MARRIED WOMEN
Why the Housekeeper With a
Family Finds She Cannot
Lead 1t

We hear a good deal about the sim
pie life these days and many persons
promise themselves to lead it, not be-
ing very clear in their own minds per-
haps, just what it is. The Rev. Mr..
Wagner has obtained much fame by
his book which advocates the simple
life and which has been indorsed by no
less shining light than the occupant
of the White house, who, while he is a
We'll known liver of the strenuous life,
would evidently not have people follow
his example, but his precept. 1t is easy
to talk about it, but life really is, not
simple, unless one could become a her
init and absolutely cut himself off from
humanity. For SO long as we live in
communities, have friends and are part
of what goes on about us our lives are
very complicated and becoming more
so instead of less.
Take the housekeeper, for instance,
the woman who has family. She may
rise in the morning with a determine
ton to live the simple life and allow
nothing to disturb her serenity. But
alas, there may be grounds in the
breakfast coffee and husband may
make a few remarks about it. Or even
If the breakfast is smoothly gotten
through and it is a cold morning huS-
band says that he thinks he will wear
his Sealskin cap down town. Then his
wife remembers she put it away care
fully done up with moth balls, but
where, o where? Husband is standing
first on one foot and then the other,
making charming remarks about per-
sons who put things away so carefully
that they never come to light. Mean
while his wife is going through closet
shelves with a red face and wondering
why in the world her lord should want
that cap at this particular moment. If
she does not find it he goes away cross,
saying that he will probably freeze his
ears, just by way of making it pleasant.
When his wife can't find a thing it
proves to a man that all his theories
about women are true. So as soon as
he has gone his wife tries to get her
mind into proper shape to live the sim
pie life, but after the children are final
~ gotten off to school, the buttons
sewed on which mysteriously fell off
the previous day without rhyme or rea-
son, and mother again sits down with
the idea of taking up the simple life,
her determination has somewhat weak
ened. She has not sat there long be-
fore she is called to the kitchen to dis
cover the cook has a grievance and
doesn't think she can stand things an
other day. The simple life here be-
comes much tangled up and by night
wife is getting the dinner herself and
has no theories worth mentioning.
Now, if a man had any, tact-some
men have, but they never marry-he
would, upon returning at night and
finding his wife has had a hard day
->1lk about everything in general and
make himself as agreeable as if she
was friend instead of his wife. But
alas, theefact that she could not find
ooh
ms first question at night is about that
Has she. found it? If not, she feels
guilty and husband feels justified in
holding forth upon the utter absurdity
of putting things away. She asks him
Sarcastically if he would like the cap
LETT underfoot in the hall, and he will
probably say it would be better there
than put away. No man can under
stand putting things away. How to
live If things are not put away once in
awhile he has not thought out He
only knows that when he wants thing
1t should rise automatically, walk off
the shelf and meet him half way. The
woman who can invent that will be
much sought after. If it is a gun a
book, an old coat or anything that may
occur to him suddenly, he cannot COM
prehend that it should not be at hand
In moment, even though it may be
years since he last saw it. Such is man
When caught young and domesticated.
He means well and is perfectly charm
ing when everything goes his way So
If woman-or anybody-does not live
the simple life she should not be
blamed.
Life is not simple for the majority.
but a hard, queer old thing. full of
cross currents and contraries. To
make it simple we should have to live
alone in a cave and that would not be
at all interesting. There are moments.
however-like the one herein described
In relation to husbands and caps
when one would willingly enter the
cave and pull it in after one These
occasions are fortunately rare.