South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-10-28
The Stay At Home
Bad AS Cad About
Woman Who Forgets Hus-
band and Friends to be
Housekeeper Causes
Divorce.

Co much has been said of CAD
about woman and her relationship 10
divorce that the fact that there is an
opposite extreme has been quite over
looked. The fact that there is an even
closer relationship between inharmon-
fous home life and the stay-at-home
woman has been forgotten or Ignored.
ONLY the other day a divorce was
granted on the grounds of 'lncompau-
bility." after something less than two
years Of married life.
The woman's friends held up their
hands in horror. Every one knew the
woman's husband. He was a kind,
lively and successful business man
with a wide range Of interests. He
had been in every way what the wom-
ans friends trmed IAN ideal nus
band" The woman was equally well
known. she had held a high position
in the employ of the city before her
marriage and she numbered her
friends by the hundreds.
When the two were married the
general comment was How fortunate
lv mated; so devoted, too"
They were devoted. So much so
that the woman promptly began TO
revel in the joys Of a home, that was
truly her own She spent six happy
months planning the furnishings of the
new house. She refused TO employ a
rnaid, preferring to do the tasks her
self. which in all her life she had
for her friends, for she was busy
planning the decorations of her home
and in seeing them carried out.
The friends of the woman called. A
few of the calls she returned, but
many she did not, and those she did
return were at such long intervals
that her friends felt the affront. From
morning TO night she was busy about
her home. A speck of dust on CEN
ter table would send her scurrying for
a dust cloth. Her floors were always
polished to the highest degree of lus-
ter and her linens were ideally white.
In short she became a worShlper OF
her home and at length its slave.
AS the months passed she became
conscious of WEAKNESS when the days
work was done. She declared that
there was no time TO read. In fact,
she had quite Outgrown a desire to
read in the weeks Of joyful prepare
ton Of her abode. She laugbingiy de-
clared that "women's place is in the
home" and refused invitations to din
ners or afternoon parties.
Then so gradually that she scarcely
knew what was transpiring she be-
came dissatisfied. For almost 10 years
she had met thrOngs of people every
day. now she saw no one but her hus-
band. Yet she failed to face the truth
that her home life was palling. She
became moody and ungracious. When,
on rare occasions, she visited out OF
town, she remained but a day or two
and then becoming worried by
thoughts of her home and the dust
accommodating during her absence, she
would come rushing back. She was
completely devoted TO her home that
g, a. III
in the attic floor TO prove her right to
the title Of good housekeeper.
The inevitable happened. Her hus-
band had maintained his interests. He
spoke of the women about his place
of business and commented upon the
ability Of his secretary, as he had done
hundreds of times before his marriage.
But with the new unrest that was
Selling upon her. his wife failed to
remember. She became jealous of a
quite harmless secretary. She accused
her husband Of infdelity one moment
and was filled with contrition the next.
In short she had so little TO occupy
her mind that she tOrtued herself with
petty annOyances until life became un-
bearable.
She succeeded ~ admitting into her
home so much of a spirit of inharm-
ony that when at length she suggest
ed a divorce, half seriously on the
grounds of 'incompatibility," her hus-
band did not contest it, preferring the
peace and quiet of his bachelor days.
when he might put his feet on the
library table if he chose.
So the woman, who believed that
''wOmen's place is in the home" re-
turned to her office and her friends.
and the man with a sigh of relief, re-
turned TO his club.