Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-03-27

Ii IlIIG Vi olIdln uIQ odNll
fee, with no exit made visible even
by the telescope Of optimism. 1t
means a reconstruction of the home
regime on siege lines. There is a re-
classifying of household expenses, and
many of the luxuries are quietly re-
moved from consideration. and many
of the old necessities are promoted to
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
impudent and insistent. and a new
atmosphere fills the home. 1t is a sit
uation requiring slow. careful watch
fulness as that Of a 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 a boat properly
with one oar. 1t requires the two, on
opposite sides. to move in harmony.
A spirit of unselishness, 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 10
not the most awful in the world. In
the later days. if it has drawn the two
into closer harmony and fuller realiza-
tion of mutual dependence, it will be
but a 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
gave French names to the simplest
dishes and helped each other to wine
hat 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 We're almost afraid to look into
each others eyes for fear of breaking
down.
There were 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
necklace her husband gave her on her
birthday. when in reality all he. could
put around the throat he loved was his
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 we're going to fight and to
win together-somehow.
There are real sorrows that make
mere poverty seem wealth by compari-
son. There is the standing together by
the sickbed of a dear little one in the
hush of a dimly lighted room, watch
ing. waiting. fearing and hoping. Then
come long days and longer nights
when. weak. worn and wearied, each
looks for hope in the others eyes,. when
all life is reduced to moments, when
the light of hope dies and they face
their great sorrow-together. Then
must they meet the slow. creeping tide
OF long days of loneliness and empti-
ness of life when the thought of a
child's laughter forever silenced brings
a pang of anguish that no mere words
can deaden. The gentle mutual
thou~ghtfulness. wistful watchfulness
and tender handed love of each minis
tering to the other tighten and lessen
their journey through this Gethsemane
in the lives of two.
When the mantle of disgrace falls on
the shoulders of some one near to both
husband and wife and a hurt pride and
a wounded sense of honor threaten to
leave an ugly scar, when their natures
seem to grow bitter and resentful at
this pain and shame coming to them
who are innocent, then together must
they be brave. and together must each
be a source of strength to the other.
There are crises, too, where misun-
derstandings, begun as a trife, aug
mented by that clever circumstantial
evidence that so deftly fits into a
theory, shake the foundations of faith,
and doubt welded to suspicion kills