The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-02
American Wives From the
Husbands Point Of View

.a l
The present relations between Amer
icnn wives and husbands and tho
present Danger to tho happy oontin-
uance of American homes through tho
Ignorance and inefncieney OF twentieth
century housewives have inspired sev-
eral writer's OF notion In the produc-
ton OF one-sidod novels from tho sup
posedly much imposed upon and long
suffering husbands point OF view.
No reader OF these novels can for
moment suppose that women VIII
not resent the injustice with which
they are pictured In such books Tho
husband is represented as honestly
loving tho vito OF his choice. AZ being
trifle overindulgent and giving
money and tho authority that goes
with 1t too absolutely into her hands
perhaps. OF being DESTROYS OF avoiding
show and ostentation. and living and
working altogether to render his fam
ny happy and prosperous.
Years OF Gradual Disillusion.
His devotion to his wife carries him
forward through years Of gradual dis
illusion. In which no tells the tale
OF his discomfort at homo. OF his wife's
failure in any way to be a helper. OF
her inability to control her servants.
OF tho unudiness to which she is q
victim. the wretohod food served upon
his table. and tho constant change OF
cooks and housemaids that emphasizes
tho ntfulness Of the regime from
which domes.ics are constantly sesk-
Ing relief.
Tho novelist ascribes the failure OF
the American woman to measure up
to any standard Of usefulness, to the
manner in which she Is brought up
and educated, to tho fact that nothing
In the way OF work Is demanded or
expected OF her. On the contrary. he
points out that sho is permitted to be
a. disorderly and careless as sho may
when q girl. Her mother may be worn
out with tho burdens that fall to her
lot. but she never thinks OF calling
on her Idle young daughter for relief.
beginning OF Husbands Troubles.
After q while this girl. who is as
pretty as she Is idle. becomes WIFE.
and then 1t is that the husbands
troubles begin. Tho man is very hon
estly in love. Tho wife only enough
SO to ht in with her plans and ambi-
tons. She is a social climber of the
purest wator. and she subordinates
everything else in the world to the
qualification Of her personal aims. In
order to furnish money as she re-
Quires. her husband is required by
her to sacrifice his IDEAS OF honesty
and uprightness. Her daughter grows
up q stranger to tho husband and
father. Both mother and daughter are
in direct conflict with him as to
thought and action. Ha is represented
as being naturally frank and arec-
tionate. They incline constantly to
Iecrecy and indirectneBs, and are cold
and calculating to the extreme
American wife Severely Blamed.
and 30 the story goes, Certainly, at
national type. the American mother
twentieth century authors. whose
writings are transient in the extreme
and yet are widely read.
The publication of such book woult
not have been possible or probable {
score Of years ago. Women who know
1t for what it ia would do well II
question themselves as to the motive.
underlying its production.
Every woman who Is given to ex.
trayagance and undue self-indulgenc,
ought to feel the harm that she 1!
aoing herself in the estimation Of the
world. which Is becoming rightly crit
.cal in requiring women to live VI
10 tho same standards of intelligence
md alertness in their household regu
iations. that business men take int
the conduct OF their business.