The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-29
EVENING CHAT
By RUTH CAMERON.

In a little town in Connecticut two OLD
people have just celebrated the 18th an
niversary of their wedding. The man is
SO, the woman 81.
Il have always thought" says the old
benedict when asked his recipe for
marital felicity, that young married
folks would have fewer quarreIs if they
followed the rules mother and ! laid down
for ourselves" These are the rules:
should respect.
DO your share of the work without
Boosting.
Forget the gloomy things and discuss
and think of the cheerful things of life.
Let the better manager, whether the
man or the woman, be the cashier of the
household.
DO not speak disparagingIy of your
life partners family.
DO not say you are boss: think so If
you wish, but keep it to yourself,
when you are peevish go out of doors:
do anything to forget it, only do not fret
your partner
In word let the dog sleep in the best
chair, IL that is the only way to preserve
harmony"
l emphasize the fourth, fifth and
seventh of these rules because, while ali
dorse.
The question to whether the husband
or the wife should have charge of the
family purse strings is often aeitated
Some mainatin that the husband as the
provider, should handle all the money.
OtLeTS nOlU Jhat the wife. the buVes.
should have the cash turned over to her
Both methods have proved SUCCESSFUL
and both have failed. | think the old
folks have exactly the right idea Some
people naturally are capable of planning
and saving and spending wisely Others
are not. The best planner whether hus-
oand or wife, should certainly be the
financial manager
DO not speak disparagingly of your life
partners family is a gem. I know one
family where the husband and wife seer,
each other
ever misses chance to hurt the other by
a slap at his family. His sisters peuuri-
BUSINESS her orother's improvidence, his
Iather's bad temper, her nephew's gam
ping tendencies-these are subjects which
are continually dragged into the CONVEX
sat1on to the distinct detriment of family
harmony After quarrel resulting from
one OF these unkind illusions on the MARI
of the wife, she and talked the MATES,
over Said she, But everything 1 said
about his father was true and he knows
It." What if it were true? There are
many true things which do not need to he
discussed What if he did know it was
true! That didn't prevent him from re
senting her dragging it into the CONVEX
sation. I do not like a man who will LET
his wife neediessly abuse his father or
mother. or a woman who permits ths%
from her husband It isn't IovaI IF
there were ever a sleeping dog that it's
well to let lie, it's this subject of your
partners family.
But the best of all these good rules to
me is the seventh. when you are peevisn
go out of DOORS
There is no balm for a fretfuI. restless
spirit half so potent as going out OF
doors. seeking your friends talking to
them and getting your mind Off yourself
There is no cure for a grievance OF
quarrel half so sure a brisk walk
Elizabeth Browning's little verse about
losing ones troubles. trials and tribua-
lions "out In the fields with God" ought
to be known in every home
The bromide picture of the lonely ILL
kept home from which the wife has gone
forth to occupy herself with outside In
terests. is no sadder to me than the pic
ture of the prison home from which the
wife seldom steps out-except to shake
her tablecloth-more than once week.
Any woman who makes a habit of stay
ing cooped up in a house three and four
days at a time Is preparing for a sana-
torium or a divorce court.
or course. no one could obey all these
rules all of the time. 1t is doubtful IL
their promulgators did. But to any
couple who will obey all of these rules
some of the time. and some of them all
the time. fancy happiness will be pref
ty steady companion.