The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-04-03
QUESTION OF METHOD.

Dear me-" exclaimed Mrs. Bovee
Grossly as she turned from the tele-
phone, II sometimes think hat l have
not taken the right course with my
husband"
I'm sure every one says he is de-
voted" expostulated her caller.
"Oh, devoted! Yes. But, my dear,
are all men so hard to please in every
little detail of the house and the
family? ! can tell you they are not.
Look at Mrs. Sedgwick's husband"
Mrs. Sedgwick is so sweet" mur-
INJURED the caller.
Sweet" burst out Mrs. Bovee, with
violence suggestive of snort. "Of
course she is sweet. She has nothing
else under the blue canopy of heaven
to be but sweet! That woman to my
knowledge does not work three hours
a day. She has a husband who is
simply wickedly indulgent"
"Oh," murmured the caller deprecat-
ingly. 81 like to see him with her;
he is always so tender and consider
ate."
Mary Belle Sedgwick," pursued her
hostess, relentlessly, sis no more in
need Of rest and attention than l am
or than any other perfectly healthy
woman is. She simply found out very
early in life that it suited her to be
languid and helpless and frail and she
has played up to that role ever since.
She is far from being artless, with all
her girlish simplicity-girlish at 81"
'She does seem younger than that" i"
agreed the caller.
well, are you surprised? She has
never taken particle of responsible
ty or worry or any of the cares that
age women who are not everlastingly
thinking about themselves / don't
say she is selfish She really does not
seem to be; though, of course, that is
what it amounts to- finished Mrs. Bo-
wee, completing the circle.
But can you imagine her any diff
ferent?" asked the caller. Il have
never seen her anything but graceful
and leisurely and charming. 1 don't
believe she would be so lovable any
other way"
Nobody says she would" retorted
her hostess. THAT is just what
started out by remarking. And that
is why l say l think I ought to have
been different from the very start
with Henry"
IL NIL o.OOuS WIN Cdu hcCp HSI nus
band a perfect slave to her every
whim by the simple expedient of never
doing useful thing; never serving a
hot dinner when a cold lunch is more
convenient for her; never sparing him
any of the worries of marketing and
keeping the household accounts never
knowing for the life of her what he
needs in the way of wardrobe or what
hn hnr rN1A
Mrs. SedgWick can do all these things,
1 repeat, and still get along beauti-
fully, l cannot see why we don't all
try it!
81 for one get very tired of keeping
every single thing about the house up
to the last notch all the time, yet
Henry is used to it and he makes me
feel like criminal when l slight any
thing. l would no more think of let
ting the house go for a club meeting
or of picking up my trunks and going
on pleasure trip whenever the spirit
moved me than l would think of-of
slapping Henry's face! And he would
be quite as surprised at one as the
other"
81 think it depends a good deal upon
the man." suggested the caller. "It
never would work with my husband,
l know"
THAT is just where you are mis-
taken; it depends altogether upon the
woman. I've seen every sort of man,
serious and dignified, and frivolous
and bored, fall into line and fetch and
carry for Mary Belle Sedgwick, and
can tell you that she is just as effec-
tive with one kind as another. She
has what you might call universal
method"
Both women were silent for a mo-
ment. The caller seemed unable to
think of a argument for her
hostess heretical views. Finally, how
ever, she found one and when she
spoke it was with unexpected decision.
WELL" she announced, "the way 1
look at it is this: A family has just
so much to do and if the wife shirks
her duty the husband simply has a
double load to carry. I wouldn't want
to add to my husbands worries if
could. And, when you stop to think,
Mrs. Bovee, haven't you noticed that
Mr.. Sedgwick, after all, has rather
tired look? ?"-Chicago Daily News.