The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-10-19
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.
JENNIE AND DAVE AND UNCLE
ANDREW.

Dave and I are going to be mar
ried, Uncle Andrew" said twenty
year-old Jennie Martin. Uncle An
drew had brought her up comfortably,
and she was fond of him, but in her
eyes he was very ordinary individual
compared with handsome Dave Rog-
ers.
Uncle Andrew had a rather annoy
ing way of saying things that one
didn't always care to hear. What
are you going to live on?'' was what
he said to Jennie when she told the
wonderful news.
In novels, kind fathers always said:
God bless you. Be happy my chill
dren." But uncles were different.
'FWhy, Dave has steady job"
answered the bride-elect and her
voice showed that she resented the
slight cast on Dave.
That's the fifth or sixth steady
job, Dave Rogers has had this year.
That's a bad sign,' said Uncle An
drew. '"Take my advice, little girl,
and wait until Dave sticks at some
thing. He's good-looker, but you'll
need more than good looks when you
go to housekeeping.
That was seventeen years ago. Of
course Jennie decided in favor of
Dave. He would take care of her.
Uncle Andrew was old-fashioned and
never got out of rut all his life.
Dave wasn't like that. He lost the
steady" job by taking three weeks
for the honeymoon trip, instead of
the two allowed him. After that
vacancies seemed to be scarce. Still
Jennie thought it rather pleasant to
have her young husband at home,
watching her get the meals and talk
ing about the good job he was sure
to get sometime. After a while the
provision dealer gave them to under
stand that he "had quit feeding
them" the landlord grew clamorous
about the rent; the furniture people
carted off the parlor set. Then Jen-
ME woke up to the reality. Before
the first year of her married life was
ended she began to wish she had lis
tened to Uncle Andrew. And what
hurt rather badly was that Dave
didn't mind having her borrow from
the old uncle. Nor did he seem to
mind when the day came that she
sought the old home and begged to
stay there until her strength came
back.
After the baby was born someone
with influence got Dave into the fire
department, and poor Jennie was ra-
diant over the pay envelope he turned
in. They took up housekeeping
again, but Dave had proud spirit
and would not take any talk" from
the captain who had hot temper
and a rough tongue. He threw up
the job" and since that time has
been a packer, shipping-clerk,
porter and a dozen other things. He
is still good-looker, but Jennie has
ceased to care for that. Uncle An
drew has been the refuge in the
numerous intermissions between jobs,
-intermissions that increase in
length each year. cit is shame
Jennie cried to herself at first, ito
take so much from him. But after a
while she did not mind. The chill
dren were first in her thoughts. They
must be fed and sheltered; SO when
their father did not provide or could
not provide for their wants she
brought them back to the old home.
Careless, lazy Dave, content ito
let his. family sponge on Uncle Ans
drew" as Jennie says, in bitterness
of spirit, is not the ideal husband of
her girlhood dreams. If only he
would be a man! But he never WILL
she admits noW-since he let the
children go to work. Mollie and
Elizabeth are smart and worth edu-
eating, but they are at work for a
few dollars a week, and the mothers
heart is filled with misgivings and
disappointed ambitions. Uncle An
drew can do no more than shelter,
them, and Dave has lost all shame.
The other children are little, but the
mother has given up hoping and plan
ming. She just 'sgets along some
way" and does not dare think beyond
the present.
What a commonplace little story is
here recalled! There are many like
it; some far worse. Dave never
drinks, and he never struck me- is
the one boast poor Jennie makes
about her husband. There are many
wives who can not say so much. The
other day in a city court young
wife tainted for lack of food after
a year of starving and abuse she had
been deserted by her husband. He
had been vacation friend, and per-
suaded her to marry him after an
acquaintance of few months.
With the opening of the dancing
season win begin another series of
those unfortunate friendships that
usually end in improvident marriages.
There are many Dawes and Jennies
who on the strength of a few dances
together will decide to marry and let
the future take care of itself. If
they do not pay the full toll of suffer
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