The Washington herald., 1912-01-23
BY JULIA CHANDLER MANI.


We hear a good deal Of talk about
slovenly wives, women who keep them
selves and their homes csrelessly. In
fact, untidiness is often made the excuse
of divorce, and certain men certainly
soothe their own conseiences for a good
deal Of their side-stepping with just this
balm.
Not week ago I heard two men dis
cussing a certain business friends pref
erence for a merry little dinner down
town in a cafe with his secretary to a
meal at the family board, where a per-
fectly good and worthy wire presides over
the culinary end of things, and little
children eagerly await the coming of
their seldom seen father.
Cant say that I blame the old sport
much" declared the first man. There
isn't much to attract him at home. Wife
rather frowsy sort. Never dresses up
for him and is completely absorbed in
domesticity. A fellow can't go on alb
sorbing that sort of thing like a sponge
forever Even the sponge will hold no
more water when IL is full.
81 can't see why women don't realize
that a man wants to be met by an at
tractive personality after a long day at
the Office. There is no refreshment to
tired business man in the oompanionship
Of a woman who never dresses herself
up for him."
Facts of the Case.
Now. didn't know the two men whose
conversation I overheard, but do know
the man who they were excusing tor his
negligence at. home, and his companion
ship with a young unmarried woman.
And what is more, I know his wife.
have seen the man in question in his
own home, and have never seen him
Overtidy there. He goes unshaven in
the presence Of his family; smokes count
less cigarettes in his home and scatters
the butts from end to end of the place.
He never takes the trouble to throw
burned match into proper receptacle
out drops il on the floor wherever he
has lighted it. He leaves his clothes in
the middle OF the room wherever he takes
them on, leaves his hair in the comb, and
is guilty of thousand and one repulsive
acts of untidiness in his own home.
Now. suppose this woman who spends
third Of her time picking up after
this man, were to leave her little chill
dren and go out two or three times a
week with some man who was Immaculate
in his appearance.
World Wouldn't Excuse Her.
Do you think there would be anybody
who would say, Il don't blame the old
sport much?'
have never been able to understand
why men harp so continuously on the
tried business man" gag when they wish
to impress upon the public their neces-
sity Of pleasant surroundings at the close
OF days work.
In the average home the wife and
mother is up in the morning an hour or
two before the tired business man so
much sticks his nose from under the
covers.
II she is a mother her duty never ends
The mending basket it always full. the
care of children. like the brook goes
on forever" If she refreshes herself
with a change Of dress before dinner
chances are she has to simply snatch
the time in which to do it, and most
likely leave something else undone in
order TO get a moment for herself at all.
So. When the tired business man
comes home wanting TO be amused and
entertained and expecting to find his
wife all dOlled up for him. he is disap-
pointed IL the mother of his children has
found other matters of more vital i'm
portance to attend TO, or shows any evi-
dence Of being little bit on ragged edge
herself.
II she isn't in gala attire, why then, he
isn't to be blamed if he aDsents himself
from home an evening or two a week and
seeks gayer companionship downtown!
Why, didn't hear two per1ectly re-
spectacle looking men say so?
No Excuse for FrOwsy Woman.
Mind you. I am not excusing the frowsy
woman. l don't believe in her. don't
think there is IN any woman's life duties
so many or so hard that she cannot take
time enough from them 10 keep herself
clean and sweet and neat in personal
appearance. She owes it as much to the
maintenance OF her own self-respect as
she does to the man she has married,
and the children she has borne. If she
IS mother.
Tidiness is a mental and moral stimu-
liant, and a woman enjoys the habit Of
neatness and cleanliness in a man just
as much as ne enjoys it in her. There
is not as much excuse for his unshaven
face as there is for her frowsy hair.
For, in the average home of the middle
classes the man has more time to keep
up his personal appearance than his
wife has.
Perhaps il he would forget that he is
always a tired business man" long
enough to remember the hour at which
his wife arose and how full her long day
has been of duties and cares and respon-
sibilities, he might cease to feel that he