The Washington times., 1906-12-23
Mans Wooden Family
the HappieSt on Earth

dren. toO-chiIdrsn who would De mar
vsis OF flial respect and family love.
The idea. once conceived. took full
possession Of the man. he was al
ready skilled with tSeis. He began
his task with enthusiasm and day
spared no pains It Was labor OF
love. And aR be worked be found
niTn9ef ID love with this wooden
image OF the woman his own hands
were fashiouinE. fun siSo and true to
ufa
Il was finished. Hls home was no
longer empty there was q wife &C sit
with him at table and attend % the
household duties while he was Assent
And she really does perform the
duties Of 8 housewife. % 6snblanos
az least Al the proper time you viii
hud her busting tha DarioT IN auto
matfC quiet There IS the duBter IN
her hand. but It moves not Another
time she viii be seated at the piano.
her hands stretched across the unrs-
spOnsiVe keys. You VIII find her IN
the kitchen. standing before the table,
rolling pin IN hand, making imagf-
nary bread. She would be the model
Wile-Afrs- Bennett as her husband
calls her-COuld she but move and
speak for herself
But the wife ia only one OF thiH in
teresung wooden family. There eFs
the Eve daughters and a son, Edith
May, tha eldest was married recently
and her father. Nj Bennett. made for
her splendid wooden husband Some
times the neighbOrs get glimpBes 0f
their hOneymOoniuE. the husband kiEz.
ing his bride or holding his arm aEoeaa
her waist.
No one n Fort Bragg laughs at tits
pathetic attempt OF lonely man -
surround himsSlf with beings he nay
love, In fact people have humoFsz
him ia his loneliness He has a -.
spouslble position and his credit is of
the bSSt-a1d 1agl.Ertf Is no nziaer- hs
buys All sorts OF thiuES for gifs and
daughters, candy. flowers, 3ewokEy,
clothes, HIS son is usually fortunate
The women OF Fort Bragg have 20
heSitancy in calling occasionally upon
Mrs. Bennett and her i've daughters
IF they are "out" the visitors leave
their cards. But more often they are
en- Sometimes Mrs. Bennett Is Fe-
clining on the ooUcn IN The psrior with
one Of the newest novels IN her hand
Sometimes she is bending busiiy over
the sewing machine oftenor II the
kitchen. Sometime she Is az ths table
with her family, food cooked for all
and Bennett at the head Of ths table
carving the roast.
The Fort Bragg people have accepted
this strange condition Of things and re-
spect Mr Renuett's own personality.
No one dreams OF making fun Of this
pathetic figure OF a man who knows
his profession well. keeps his conven-
tionalities Of life and has 70 content
himself with a wooden family instead
of real one. lie is very frank IN
talking about IT, too.
William Bennett IS 8 thoroughly sat
isfied and contentsd man. He spends
his spare hours IN caring for his fam
ily, aud many nights after hiB days
business IS finished he may he seen
going into the dry goods store, looking
at and examining the latest patterns
and materials with never-failing in
teresr and keen eye 70 their suit
ability for his daughters
The jewellers OF the town know him
wei. Many pieces TO order have been
been made hy them for Mr. Benefits
family and they know that when
Christmas or any anniversary comes
8IF- Bennett viii do his share Of the
buying Even the candy shops are
well patrOnized for ali the girls are
fond of sweets and their father Is not
niggardly IN his qualification Of their
llCings