Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-25
Heritage of
the WGfe
Ry REATRICn FAIRFAx.

Don't talk about being master in your
own house. You may be while you are
there, but you have to go out"
A man friend voiced this advice to hus-
bands some time ago. Is his view the
correct one7
do not think It is. 1 maintain that II
Is the wife. not the husband al all. who
IL master OF the house all the time. There
is no may be" about 1t.
am speaking domestically. of course,
and 1 take it that my friend was speak
ing domestically also. do not see how
any sensible-thinking man may be-
master of the household, even while
there.
4 The house, and all that in It is, is en-
Ephatically the wife's province. The man $
duty begins and ends in paying the rent
and taxes and providing the housekeep-
ing money. He has no more right to boss
the house than his wife has TO interfere
in his business affairs.
OF course. the husband comes after the
wife. II must be so. In a sense q hus-
band is a privileged lodger; he has rights
that no ordinary lodger has, but there
is limit to his rights.
So long as a man has a capable wife,
the control OF servants, the condition of
the house itself. the provision of meals.
and the ordering of domestic affairs gem
orally Is entirely and completely her af-
fair.
The man who does not let his wife run
her house in her own way is reducing
her to the position of a paid housekeeper,
81 ah
that, her very pride ought to prevent her
allowing her rightful position to be
usurped.
There are, II may be argued, certain
occasions when 1t is necessary for a man
to interfere. That is true. But he should
only do so at his wifes request. Servants
often take more notice of what a man
says; but that is because, If he is
sensible. he rarely says anything to
them. A husband who has to dismiss or
Ireprimand a maid should always do so
Ito save his wife the disagreeable task.
hand not for any other reason.
A household that is bossed by the hus-
hxnd Is seldom a success. No matter how
ndomesticated and fussy a man may be-
and most domestlcated men are fussy-
he cannot run things as smoothly and
satisfactorily as can competent woman.
He is attempting to perform work that
nature never intended him to perform.
1t is faulty argument to say that be-
rause the husband pays he should be the
master Before he married. whether he
lived at home. in lodgings, or in board
ing house, he was more or less under
feminine rule In household affairs. He
probably never dreamed of interfering in
domestic ways then, go why should he
expect to do so on getting married? To
10 so is to affront his wife. II is as good
as telling her that she is incompetent
And for any man to think that he can
be boss of the show while he Is at home,
and relegate his authority when he goes
out. is nothing short of pure cheek lie
cannot run his house like he can his bus
ness; nor, If she is worth her salt will
ais wife allow him to try and do so. She
.an't possibly hope to please him II she
ioes.
A man is only master of the house in
very few well-defined ways. Broadly
tpea ing, running the house Is wife
aeritage. She is the true master"
Unless there is an infant inmate! Then
Miss or Master Baby usually takes con-
.rol. He doesn't spend the money, true;
but it is spent for him. Everyone bows
10 the rule of the tiny monarch whose
lceptre is a rattle. andwhose smile Is
1he sweetest sunshine in the home.