The Washington times., 1913-07-24
WIFE AND CHILDREN
AWAY 0, POP! 0, pop!
And Dad MoWs the Lawn, and
Feeds the Chickens-and
Is, Oh So Lonely!

uroll into almost any restaurant or
lunch room-or one of Jack Barley
corn's headquarters-along about or
o'clock in the evening and you will
behold the typical summertime widow
ers of the National Capital in various
moods, numbers, and states of sobriety.
The town is full of 'ern, but they really
don't get CONSPICUOUS until the shades
of night steal over them apd they be
come sadly or joyousiy sensitive of
their loneliness.
The frst-week widowers--the "Gee
whiz, I'm Glad I'm Free..yar:ety-are q
happy lot as d rule, but the degree OF
delight over the absence OF Friend
Wife's restraint gradually diminishes
as the weeks roll By. About the seq
ond week there is a perceptible change
in expression-and perhaps clothes-but
there is a distinct seasick look on the
race of hubby after he has had three
weeks of single blessedness-and may
be cussedness.
President Leads. ...,
Washington can probably boast OF
more summer widowers' than any
other city in the land of Uncle Sam
From the President of the United
States down to men of more humble
station, are TO be found the wtfeless
husbands in July and August With
President Wilson are a majority OF the
Cabinet members essaying the role OF
summer widowers." The Chief Ex-
ecutive and his genial secretary, Joseph
Patrick Tumulty. are running the pro-
verbal bachelor hail. at the White
House. and they don't like II any bet
ter than does a clerk performing the
household duties OF his little fat
Yes, my family is away" is a COM
!. mon remark these days. Sometimes the
= family" consists simply Of a wife,
but more often the "family'' is meant
to include a child or children. WASH
ington IS not IN the race suicide class.
Washington women and children four
ney to all parts of the United States for
the summer, this being true because the
5000 or more Government officials and
employees come from every State in the
Others to the mountains, and not a few
to Europe.
: At Their Clubs.
A great many Of the more fortunate
husbands live at the clubs while their
wives and children are away. This is
particularly true of members Of the
Chevy Chase and Columbia Country
clubs. However, the rank and file Of
the "widowers" occupy their own
homes, and for the most part these are
flats or apartments.
Records at the postoffice show that
with the exception of December. the
letter mail is heavier during July and
August than any other months in the
year. This Is due-to the correspondence
between Friend Wife and husband, and
the letters from the children. of course,
there is no direct information about
the contents of the letters, but the i'm
agination. aided by a little experience.
suffices.
Carbon copies of some, IL not most, of
the letters would unfold the informa-
ton that hubby is eating plenty. going
10 bed early, misses wiley and the
children, isn't drinking a drop. feeds
the canary regularity and. perhaps, is
doing few. such important things as
Keeping the door locked, the pan under
the icebox emptied, the house free from
flies, etc, etc. Sound familiar?) And
he swears to write often"
Movs Lawn.
How hubby spends his time is a SUBJ
tect to view from two different angles.
OF course. he tells his wife with more
or less yeracity that he goes to bed
early-say s-or o'clock-because there
lis nothing to do
To account for the other few hours
he says that he moved the lawn. went
TO q moving picture show, took a street
car ride TO Glen Echo-and didn't get
on the car-or engaged in some other
such wild diversion.
But-well, not all our summer vid-
owers have lawns to NOW and they
don't care rap about moving pic
lures IN hot weather and are afraid of
me street cars anyway. What's the
use-Friend Wife thinks so at any rate,
30 why write it.