The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-12-04

ENTERTAINING ONES WIFE.


"A Letter from Pictorial Review.
Dear Editor: I am not the sort Of
woman who discusses her husbands
failings with her neighbour, and ! 40
not consider myself 9 martyr q matri-
mony. i am o fairly contented wife
and mother, but / might be happier n
you could advise me, Alright.
Here IL the situation. ! have three
little children, and only a half grown
girl to help me. So I am tied pretty
closely to my home. An occasional att
ernoon at the Wcmanis club or the
Ladies' Aid or with b children az q
moving picture show freaks the round
OF my household duties. Books and
magazines are my real pleasure.
My husband IL part owner OF q hard
ware store, Ind ! dare say he works
as hard as / do. But in the evening,
what a difference between usi Every
afternoon / look forward to his return
as the reward or my days work, and
disappointment I change my dress,
have what ! am sure he will like for
supper, tuck my babies into bed early
and then go out on the porch for an
hours companionship with my hus-
band. But what do I get? An occa-
sional "Uh-huh" from behind his paper
~ NAAC btChA Va JAt0 R1pOs Et8g-taau
i try to start conversation-not gos-
sip, but on the news OF the day; what
4 read and feel sure he has read; any
thing I've heard that I think might In
terest him. Monosyllables In reply.
i ask him questions about the day
spent downtown. Anything interest
ing happened at the store2 Mol Any
new goods come in2 Nothing newt
My questions drop further apart. BY
2 by there are no sounds except
FOOTBALLS outside u fence, the hum OF
insects the chirping of crickets. Then
suddL ~ ne stands up, saying: We'll,
! guess I'll lock up
And another evening has been vast
Yet I know that lying there in the
hammock he ha been thinking OF many
interesting things. He plans most Of
MS business moves at home. And II
does seem a. III he might talk them
over with me-. for I am intelligent
enAuRh to understand, and I never talk
OF my ~husbands's affairs outside.
But what is hardest to bear Is this.
When callers come, he brightens up,
makes himself agreeable, en~tertains
them by telling funny stories about the
store and customers-thIngs that I
would appreciate much better than "A
or our neighbors or friends. This is
how i know Just how much he could
tell me when were alone IL he thought
1t worth while to exert himself for me.
Once I tried to discuss the question
with him. He claimed he Is tired when
ne gets home that he wants to be quiet,
that home is a place for q man TO
rest, But 1t does not seem t. tire him
70 entertain callers. He does NOT like
70 go out evenings, but he Is always
nice to people who call.
4 have thought so much about this. I
Know my husband loves me In his own
way and Is good TO me In his own way.
But I wish IT were a different way. I'd
ke 70 be as Well worth talking TO as
my neiRhborsl are, I want him to feel
that ! am as worth entertaining now as
4 was before he married me. Then he
FOUND plenty to talk about.
This is a long letter. I have been a
long time deciding to write II. But my
problem Is serious. If I were the sort
OF wonan who has many women
friends. OF II. we had the means to be
more sociable, II would DO different
But l must find my happiness in my
nome, and my husband is the biggest
ngure In my home. I want TO keen I'm
touch with him. with the outside world
In which he works, with the affairs of
men. -
Sometimes ! feel almost ashamed to
lind that I have stood talking + or
" HNA,GsSS VIII the prlSnI young mar
VINO delivers u groceries or to some
agent trying to sell me a patent stove
Iifter or book. But I realize that I talk
70 them because I want to hear about
h outside world where my husband
works: ] get tired OF the things women
talk about. ~ - -
Perhaps other wives feel the game
way. Perhaps In answering my letter
You may answer the unwritten letters
or other wives. Show us how to keep
In touch with our husbands. -"