Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-02-16
nv RICHARD splLLANE.

eY RICHARD sPlLLANE.
Few men want their women folk in
business. It is bad enough for girls
who must support themselves or for
women who are thrown upon their
own but for a bride to enter
the field, that seems to be beyond the
limit.
MIR. Drew, ordinarily one of the most
good natured and even-tempered of
then, showed evidence of something APP
preaching anger when his wife, despite
his fat-footed declaration that her
suggestion was absurd, persisted IN her
pleading to be permitted to seek an
Office position of some sort in the
great world of down town.
She gave nearly every reason but the
true one as to why she wanted to go to
work. She went into detail as to how
lonesome 1t was for her during the lay.
They had been married only two
months. She never had beer in New
York until she came here a bride. The
little fiat they rented far up town was
charming. but to so vigorous a young
person as Mrs. Drew it did not give
enough household employment to keep
her busy more than two hours. a Few
experiences with gossipy and borrow
ing neighbors made her suspicious.
She had been porn and brought up in
a small town and was a bit straight
laced in her ideals. h big city seemed
a d%readfully drcary place to her In
the long hours Bob was down town.
1dleness was punishment to her.
She needed something to keep her
mind and her hands employed. 1t
mattered little to her If she got only
a few dollars pay a week II she coulu
feel she was accomplishing somethlng,
and II she did not have to sit at home
and count the hours until Bob came
home.
Mr.. Drew assured her that she soon
would change her view. Every young
woman who came from the country to
the city had the same attack of nos
talgia, he %laughingly declared. but
soon recovered and came to love city
life. He advised her to go out more,
to go to a matinee once or twice a
week. look around the shops, visit some
Of the museums and before she knew
1t she not only would find her time
fully occupied. but would be keenly
Interested. Besides he would bring
more OF his friends nome to Inner and
would see that she had more compan-
fonship. It would not be long before
she had a new circle of friends and
would be forgetting the country. Bob
was SO bright and CHEEKY and drew
such a pleasant picture that he was
Quite satisfied with the outlook, and
when he patted her cheek and pro-
posed q musical comedy and a bite In
one of the Broadway estaurants later
to brighten her up he considered the
matter settled.
but he did not know Mrs. Bob so
well as he thought he did. She had
put her case cleverly. but she had me-.
touched the principal reason for her
desire for employment. 1t was all very
well for Bob to say he would be
ashamed If not disgraced to hav his
wife a business woman. 1t was all
very well for him to point out that he.
made from $50 to $T5 a week. and it
would simply be scandalous for a man
earning so much to permit his bride to
work.. That weighed very little With
her in her calm analysis of the situa-
ton. She loved her husband and con
sidered him one OF the best OF men,
but that did not blind her to his one
great weakness. Twice he had been
unable to go to the office. The sec
Ond time the manager lad been up to
see him. and. although he spoke in q
low voice, she could not help hearing
the yelled warning. She understood
now why Bob rarely held g position
long. He mad friends rapidly-!o.s
OF them. too many of them. He was
genial for his own good. His employ
ers liked him, but wished he would
let liquor alone.
Mrs. Bob th~ught the whole matter
out. She was not u weepy person, and
n was not of the scoldy kind. 1t was
ullNST uiSSONeTy 10 MAKE, but after
calm reflection she thought she saw
her way clear. Possibly if she got EN-
ployment where her husband worked
he would do better. If he had to ac-
company her home each evening he
would not be out so late witt, his com
panions. She might. without his knowi-
edge wean him away from his weak
ness. She was a patient woman. was
Mrs. Bob. h realized that as the
matter stood at the lomen her hus-
band would not permit her entering
the business realm. Later something
the depression following the over
Indulgence or h danger of losing his
position-might win his consent.
Seemingly she accepted his refusal in
good part n the theaters and the
shops saw more Of her thar before
and they Interested her as they in
terest all women. but all the while
she held to her purpose. She had a
lot OF pride and She had one memory
that was unpleasant to her. That was
fE