Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-02-03
Mix Common Sense
With Your Affection.

Mix Common Sense
With Your Affection.
In affection, friendship and love the
extravagant nature is liable 10 dig the
grave of happiness with the spade of
oyer-Gevo:ion.
BY over-deyotion | mean the atten-
ti0ns which become surveillance
The mother-hen attitude is natural TO
some women.
But because a certain popularity is
natural is no reason why il may not be
overcome or restrained by the check rein
of common sense.
The mother hen with one chick makes
its life uncomfortable by her watchful-
ness. If the chick pecks nj a bug or n
crunb the hen snatches ii away in order
to examine the morSel and see that il is
fit food for her darling:
ii the darling attempts To take
promenade and rolls down the garden
walk like Il ball of worsted blown by
the wind, the mother follows and heads
it off. And in all ways the poor chick
is handicapped and hedged from free
dom and enjoyment by the mother hen
until it grows large enough and bold
enough to assert its individuality
We have all seen human mothers of
the same order.
| have i'll mind gifted and charming
young woman who is driven to the
verge of distraction by such u mother.
If the daughter drops into Il reverie
for moment the mother watches her
with troubled eyes, and then kneels be-
side her and asks her to conide what is
troubling her.
If the girl sneezes, the mother runs ND
two fights of stairs and brings ii wrap.
If she drops down on the divan with
book the mother begs her to rise while
she arranges the pillows more comforta-
hltrs md cl,n oh.
lunch the mother orders beef tea and
brings it to her while she is dressing to
go out and watches her while she drinks
it, and follows her down the steps beg
ging her to be careful of herself
The only fresh breath the girl draws,
the only real comfort she enjoys, is when
she is out of her mothers sight
She appreciates the parents motive
but she is made miserable by being so
watched and guarded, as any natural, in
dependent nature is certain to be.
More than one wife has driven her
husband to the club by just this sort or
devotion.
Not one man in ten thousand can en-
,dure it,
There are women who feel fiattered by
the same attitude from Il lover or hus-
band. but | doubt if they really enjoy it
when it comes to constant association.
1t is a mere matter of pride with them
that the man takes such minute interest
in everything concerning them, but they
grow FESTIVE under it eventually. Men
possess less vanity in these matters and
care more for personal freedom and
physical comfort, and to them the de-
tective attitude of woman is irksome
in the extreme.
Most men enjoy having their slippers
brought and their favOrite chair in its
favorite place, and the paper at hand;
these attentions quietly attended to are
agreeable proofs of woman'S thought
funess but to be watched with anxious
eyes if they draw a long breath. to be
anticipated in every wish land thus never
to have the pleasure of surprising the
sweetheart or wife with a request), to be
followed about with sofa pillows and
matches. and slippers. and dressing
gowns. and to be an object OF continual
soicitude, is but one degree less painful
than neglect.
Between friends the same rule holds
good.
Enjoyment of friendship is impossible
without tact-that tact which under
stands the right of every soul to mo-
ments of freedom, in a solitude of its
own making: and a liberty of action
which does not desire observation or com
ment, or to be forced into the necessity
of explanation.
Only by cultivating tact, only by realiz-
ing that friendship and love must have
their root in liberty can friends or low
erS be retained.
Child, husband, wife, friend, all want a
certain freedom; without it happiness is
an impossibility.
Not the freedom which encourages Ii
CcnSe. deception or Indifference, but the
freedom which means individuality.
No matter how dearly you love some
one, remember that one wants room for
his or her soul to grow, and to hedge
that soul n bout with Il dollhouse atmD-
sphere and smothering attentions Is to
destroy its comfort and stunt its growth
Common sense is an excellent ingredi-
cnt to mix with affection.--Ella Wheeler
Wilcox in Philadelphia Evening Bulle-
tin.