The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-05-07
WHAT REALLY COUNTS.
When It's n Question of Preserving
the Happiness of Husbands.

tnc happiness OF IuSDanuS.
A well-known writer in discussing
the question of what kills married love
and why it is that Cupid. blind befors
marriage, becomes argus-eyed after
ward, says that the true answer is
lack of patience. The keynote of mari
tai happiness, the plummet of love. the
handspring of the universe, according
to this writer, is patience The most
mismatei pair that earth ever pro
duced may live contentedly together
and even enjoy a measure of happiness
If only they have patience-enough.
While patience may be most allur-
ing quality in woman, 1t is we'll to
remember that there are other traits
which appeal perhaps more TO the
average American husband. Among
these might be variety-variety in a
wife and not of necessity variety in
wives. Love OF variety is especially an
American attribute. and explains why
some men are happy with wives whose
moods are as April weather, but, like
real April weather-with bursts of sun
shine for every gust of storm. Tritely,
often the happy one. and the wife who
is petted and fiattered the one whose
life spells contentment. Indigestion is
fruitful source OF irritability, and
that, in turn, is bar to marital hap
piness If not weapon to sever marital
relations. Only a saint can endure dys-
pepsia and remain goOd-tempered !;
therefore, 1t behooves n woman to see
to ii that her lords viands are well
cooked. and man to insist that lis
wife shall not consider her digestive
apparatus 10 be made OF cast iron,
warranted TO wear forever a good d.
gestion and a smiling face are usually
companions and are also always COM
panionable.
If Impotence and irritability are
rocks upon which the ship of marriage
splits asunder. what may be said OF
jealousy-the monster that has rent so
many homes? And how slight thing
will awaken its wrath. Women rarely
learn to appease jealousy in husbands
and husbands blunder constantly in
stirring it up in wives.
The banner OF emancipation has
rarely yet been successfully planted by
woman beneath the roof of a hus-
band worth having. 1t is more than
the average man can endure TO see his
wife set out on the morning of election
day 10 hand out chicken salad and cold
turkey to the political supporters Of a
ticket in line outside the voting booths.
Just this exuberant feminine idea of
civic patriotism has been responsible
for innumerable disrupted homes. This
kind Of wife loses sight of the fact that
1t is the dignity and unity Of the home
which best conserve the unity and dig
nifty of the nation, and that strong
moral influence In the domestic circle
will inevitably send out men to vote
for and to fight for high principles in
the world. She might better learn the
lesson that she is no longer a bright
will-o' the-wisp, fitting hither and
thither at will and leading her would
be captor pretty chase, but that, as
wife, she has taken up a serious line of
march and ought, for the safety of
others in the same procession, to step
In the tracks, set Indian-wise, by her
husband, who precedes her.
In the scale of our characters there
is always a balance of some kind. Mar
riage Is great test of character. II
determines whether an equilibrium
shall b. preserved or whether 1t shall
be destroyed by needless handling OF
those materials which weigh the scales