Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-06-25
DAD is GOING MAD
FOR LACK OF WORK

''Thank heavens. that husband of
mine Is gone!" exclaimed pleasant
faced, middle-aged woman, as she and
her visitor slumped down in the
porch rocking chairs.
"When'll he get back? don't know,
I'm sure. I'm hoping it won't be soon.
George has been getting that cranky
since he retired from business that it's
been impossible to live with him and
be happy. No, I'm not going to take
any vacation till he gets back. then
I'm going away where l won't get the
benefit of his nagging.
"'Pon my word, George hates HIM
self so now that he hasn't any occu-
patton that he's making it hard for
everybody around him. He snoops
around looking for trouble. and where
he used to be a real. nice comfortable
husband when he was up to his eyes
In hard work, he's got so now that I
dread to see him come into the house
at all. Why, he even threatened to get
divorce short time before he went
away. told him If he didn't mend his
ways pretty soon I'd be suing him for
divorce and a good big alimony. That
shut him up on the divorce business.
George always said that when he
was sixty years old he intended to re-
tire from business and have a good
time the rest of his life. Well. he be-
came an I. w. w. I-won't-work)
good time-heavens! The man doesn't
know what to do with himself!
THE rest of us are all as busy as
we ever were, and II seems to make
him mad just to see us busy. He's got
notion we're neglecting him. and
he's been telling some of our friends
what a heartless lot we are. IF sug-
rr<.ysks >, tsNs~ <I,n ,,,sl L.
cupied he tells me not to meddle with
his affairs. He's even taken to dictat-
ing our style of dress. and remem-
ber the time when he didn't know
whether l wore mother hubbard or
a basque.
I'VE can't keep maid any more
He snoops around the kitchen and
finds fault with the way things are
wasted (according to his ideas), and
ne SAYS the way we all spend money
3 Ecng to make him pauper before
% des-as if it wasn't as much my
''"ney rs his, for l helped him earn
lsnt he used to praise me for my
"onomical management-and have
-. changed, ..a
He used to be real chummy with
our son, but he can't even get along
with the boy ary longer. Said my son
to me the other day:
"
with father? I wonder If all old men
get to be such a nuisance to their
families. I'd hate to think I'd grow
to be like dad
THE trouble is." sighed the hostess,
that George never knew anything
nor cared about anything but his par
ticular line of work. Now that he
hasn't got that to interest him and
hold him steady he's lost and unhap-
Ply. Really. I'm sorry for him-though
he's making us sorry for ourselves at
the same time.
He thought he was taking this
trip in spite of us and to spite us, but
1t was the boy who's been gently in
sinuating 1t to him for the last three
months---that boys real diplomat.
We're hoping father will find himself
while he's away, and that he'll either
be glad to get back home or that he'll
like travelling SO we'll that he'll keep
on travelling.
II tell you. men are dreadful
puzzle to their families" concluded
the middle-aged woman. with du-
bious shake of her head Now, who
would have dreamed that George
would turn out like this?" Z.