The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-07-11

band frankly tells her that her hat Is all
on one side and she looks a llight, and
tie husband pulls himself MP sharp
and wonders whether he is not brute
10 speak as has dome
He shos told the tynthi but nood he
have told il. Would not have been !
kinder and nicer (and more paying to |
cave said nothing at all, or to have
worded his observation to his wife's
appearance differently? Suppose he
had smiled upon her with love and said
"My darling neyerlooked prettior than
she does now, with her hat tempest
tossed and her hair all flying wildly
about her face like that ofa nymph of
the woods.
She might have read in his alteration
some hint of her real condition Of I'M
kemptness.
At any rate, her hands would have
gone up to her head simultaneously,
and she would have patted her tresses
into subsection aud Strengthened her
headgear immediately, rewardipg for
his foolish speech with sweet smile
and the honeyed remark:
"Silly boy, when was really look
ing quite dreadful; but you always
! think me perfect. and [ love Won for
it, dearest"
In other words, diplomacy would
have won, the husband would have got
what he wanted and the wife would
have been charmed. But, as it is, she
is weeping and his enjoyment is alto
gether spoiled, because the conviction
is borne in upon him that, of course
she is RICH and he is a thorough brute
When they were engaged he would
no more have spoken to he thus, il
tones so crudely cruel and in accents 81
unpleasantly sincere than he would
address his superior in Office by thu
familiar nickname by which he is in
variably designated behind his back.
So let us work upon the premise tina
when diplomacy and blunt truth con
font the husband, diplomacy pays
and TASK ourselves what there is to b
said in favor Of it and what in disfayor
There are people who call diplomac.
by another term, the sinister one 0
white lies, and it is such individual
who, if they are right deyotees Of til
: truth will not countenauce the use G
diplomacy at all. They are Difficult
creatures to live with, because the
ride roughshod over everybody's feel
= ings, excusing themselves for thei
bluntness, hack of thought and disre
J ga1d of the sensibilities of their victim
by fulsome praise of what they teri
their own straightforwardness.
o That kind of straightforwardnes
sends many women down to thei
graves disheartened, saddened an
= hopeless failures.
For here is bit of sheer truth. W.
men fattsn on appreciation. They il
stinctively long to give pleasure to til
q eyes of those they love, and 1t is damn
e ening to their spirits and an outrage
# their self-loye if the pretty clothC
e they wear evoke no need of praif
!. from their husbands, or meet with onl
!, a contentious expression of unqual
\ fed disapproval, or an Indifferent an
! careless remark that may be translate
q into that faint praise that is real
If worse than outspoken denunciation.
n 1t is not only with regard to the
e dress and their appearance in genert
, Chat women cherish the appreciation
Il their dear ones And mark this, tn
& the appreciation must be expressed
J, words and looks ii 1t is to be most p
tent, and not only in that absence
70 growing and adverse criticism Tia
many men interpret approval.
They want to be admired indirect
s, by their husbands pride in the hon
and in the children, for such pride r
10 fleets upon themselves and is very pr
lo cious to them. They are hurt wht
the domestic arrangements over whic
they take 80 much time and trouble a
i'd grumbled al,
SO if husband feels that his hon
"a is true haven Of delight to him, al
al his children are all parent could wi
L, for, let him gain his wlfe,s heart
Ct praisng both to her nnstintingly al
y + sincerely.
n To turn the tables, how would
ea wife's frankness affect her husban
tn Suppose he is a man who is Of me
! disposition, niggardly in giving, al
n apt to dole out each dollar as If
ca grudged it. Is blunt dealing on t
Re wife's part likely to cure him of
T. fault, or should diplomacy and coax
take the place of the frank outspok
he word?
tie Many man woEld be terribly 3
IN greived were his wife really and lie
1t estly inform him of his niggardlin,
in calm terms that would ring with
truth when to her plea for a specia
4, pretty new bat he turned a deaf a
"a, obstinate or quite inadequate ear. A
1t yet, since plain speaking is to MAJ