News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-06-24

| icFeIscS, IHe cutting GOWN OF income
and the many dangerous sequels t,
this dire disease may bring the hus
band aYd wife face to face with ,
financial crisis 1t Is the entrance tt
time of stringency. strain and sacri
flee, with no exit made visible evel
by the telescope Of optimism. L
means reconstruction of the home
regime on siege lines. There is re
classifying of household expenses, ant
many of the uxuries are quietly re
moved from consideration, and many
OF the old necessities are promoted &c
the luxury class.
Financing in times such as these
rises from a mere science to the digni
ty of an art, and every dollar has to
! work overtime and do the duty of two
or three. Chatting restrictions take the
place of the old freedom. wants grow
| 1mpudent and insistent. and a new
atmosphere fills the home 1t is sit
uation requiring slow, careful watch
fitness as that Of sea captain stand
ing on the bridge of an ocean steamer
and directing the snail-like progress of
his ship under slow steam through a
heavy fog.
There is danger of fretting. blame.
recrimination, protest and lack of SYM
pathy on the part of the wife. met by
a tendency to GOODNESS, bitterness, an
ger hopelessness. sulks, sarcasm or
despair on the side of the husband.
When conditions are darkest it is no
time for blame of either. 1t is the
hour when each should forget self in
seeking to inspire the other.
When conditions are darkest the
lamp of love should be kept burning
brightest. This is an occasion where
the two should pull together. You
cannot move and guide boat properly
with one oar. 1t requires the two, on
opposite sides. to move in harmony.
A spirit of unselfshness, of making
the best of things, of not taking trouble
too seriously, of laughing away little
Inconvenience instead of erecting a
monument of a moan to them, counting
the blessings that remain, thinking
more of the salvage than Of the loss,
realizing the sweet duty and privilege
of the stronger to be brave for the
sake of the weaker-all help greatly
in the crisis. Such an experience is
not the most awful in the world. In
the later days. if it has drawn the two
into closer harmony and fuller realiza-
ton of mutual dependence, it will be
but happy memory Of an episode,
the dawning of real living.
They may even later laugh merrily
over that meager Christmas dinner
they had in their one little room the
year the factory failed, when they
dishes and helped each other to wine
that their Imagination transformed
from water and gave orders in digni-
fed society manner to the serving
maid who did not exist and did other
brave, foolish little things to hearten
each other They had determined that
this Christmas should not be sad, and
they were almost afraid to look into
each others eyes for fear of breaking
down.
There We're the extravagantly men,
dacious letters they wrote home about
the building of the new wing to the
house, their trouble with the servants,
the parties they attended, the beautiful
her husband gave her on her
when in reality all he could
,,11 h. h. Ii.
arms with a clasp made of his hands,
and the plays and operas of a New
York season, just because they were
too proud to let the old folks know
and they were going to fight and to
win ogether-somehow.
There are real sorrows that make |
mere poverty seem wealth by compari- |
ION. There is the standing together by |
he sickbed of dear little one in the |
lush of a dimly lighted room, watch
ng, waiting, fearing and hoping Then
ome long days and longer nights
when, weak. worn and wearied, each
ooks for hope in the others eyes, when
III life is reduced to moments, when
he light of hope dies and they face
heir great sorrow-together. Then
must they meet the slow, creeping tide
f long days of loneliness and empti-
less of life when the thought of
hilds laughter forever silenced brings
pang of anguish that no mere words
an deaden The gentle mutual
wistfu watchfulness
nd tender handed love of each minis
ering to the other tighten and lessen
heir journey through this Gethsemane
4 the lives of two.
When the mantle of disgrace falls on
he shoulders of some one near to both
usband and wife and hurt pride and
wounded sense of honor threaten to
ave an ugly scar, when their natures
aem to grow bitter and resentful at
his pain and shame coming to them
Tho are innocent, then together must
hey be brave. and together must each
e source of strength to the other.
There are crises, too, where misun-
begun as trifle, aug
rented by that clever circumstantial
violence that so deftly fits into a
leory. shake the foundations of faith,