The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-08
TRIALS OF HUSBANDS.
Charity and the Evening Tobacco
Keen tho Divorce Mills Grinding.

To THE EDITOR or THB SuN-Sir. T,e
large percentage of legal separations and
divorces granted throughout this coun.
try, especially In the large cities and
towns, Is astonishing. Many explana-
lions are given. The frailty. frivolity.
extravaganza and temperament OF the
fair sex, combined with the condition
Of home life, generally designated by
them as dull, make women discontented
in married life. The men are charged
with neglect, drunkenness. moroseness.
absorption In business. lack OF tempera-
ment. love OF home. which In their case
Ii frequently accompanied by slippers
and the adjunct OF q pipe that Is as
offensive as II Is unpleasant to the
pretty wife. All women are beautiful.
These are only a few Of the causes
given. One I have never heard men-
toned Is charity.
In my opinion charity is probably re-
sponsible for as large an amount OF this
domestic trouble as everything else.
Clergymen fiatter the fair sex and tell
them that they are eminently qualified
to carry on good works. the result being
that family life IL d~isorganixed and the
wife becomes, in her own mind at least.
the hardest Of hard working business
women and strives early and late to
improve the condition Of this or that
unfortunate family which probably has
passed through the hands Of every rec
ognixed charity organization or church
and has fallen back upon any amateur
aid that will give 1t any help. especially
financial assistance.
Committees are organized and OFF,
GERS with high sounding titles are
elected and there IL "A regular push and
rash among the ladies' as to which can
win the greatest fame In these good
works. Home Is only used to sleep In
and snatch hasty meals. the latter only
provided that there Is not the attrac-
ton Of a committee on the outside to
discuss the problems Of feeding and
clothing tho millions.
No doubt many OF the workers are
genuinely DESTROYS Of alternating the
distress that must be met with In any
community. Othc.s. however. are no.
toriety seekers or climbers into the So
called aristocracy OF this country IN
spite of the fact tina. their fathers and
grandfathers probably worked with pick
and shovel. and their only lain To blue
blood is that authorized by the fortunes
they have inherited.
The morose. pipe smoking. tipping
nonentity Of "A husband who has griined
and worked all day In his factory. count
ing house or office finds his home Just
the opposite Of what he anticipated when
he married and becomes d~isgruntled and
tired of being fed up early II late upon
the difficulty of this Mike being induced
to take the pledge and leave Off beating
Biddie. who has her own difficulties and
deficiencies to overcome in being "A bad
housekeeper and fond of 1.-THE creature
herself. Next there are the little Fad
dies and Marys to ciothe and feed. The
telephone rings necessarily and strange
callers are constantly In evidence. The
waking hours are made hideous, ccnsc-
q%uen'ly the husband shuns his nome as
he would n scourge and frequently con-
soles himself with other society and
finally removes himself. bag and rag
gage. to be followed by the inevitable
appearance In court. c~onsoling himself
with the reflection that ne has lived
either too soon or too late In this UNI
fortunate world. Meanwhile the young
wife continues to add new causes to her
list and more permanent paupers in the
community and probably finally hnds her
affinity u. a.
NEW York, April :.