The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-03-24
THE HIRED MAN

In your writings, tell me the real
truth about it (married life" 1t is a
good sign when young women will
think this matter over ahead of time,
but for the Hired Man to tell the real
truth would take more than the en-
tire space of the whole Tribune after
leaving out the editorials, the ads, the
locals and everything else, much less
my puny space of six inches, just one
mention, running down one column
wide. However, | will give you some
thing from which to figure, and if you
will remember that 2 and are 4,
you begin at the correct point. The
widows sorrow is just precisely as
long Of duration as was her bridal
joys. but of much less intensity Its
appearance to others, exactly as hon
est and artless. When there is either
more or less than artlessness about
either, it is not genuine. If the hus-
band leaves her well-fxed, it is better
for her, but worse for him. The per-
centage of women who do, with an
endearing passion, love their hus-
bands at forty-ive, is about even
with the percentage of people who
can sing music. 1t is both regulated
by that which regulates the color of
ones hair and eyes. If you are forty
and can see defects in your husband,
don't fret about it, they were there all
the while. Perfect love is perfectly
blind also, but all have to admit that
those in love can see much more in
their intended than we can. There
are some things possible in married
life worse than not to have married
at all. Yes. the Hired Man believes
women should marry at twenty to
twenty-four, but should never take
the step, nor the two-steps, until
something within her tells her that
he is the only man this side of Jericho
or the other side of Calcutta. Its all
mistake of course, but it is just that
mistake that must never be forgotten
nor left out of the reckoning. No,
do not stop to think after it is too
late to think, for if we stopped to
think, fewer of us would marry, for
there is in every wedding the chance
for little caskets. and big ones, for in
validism and hunger, neglect and
worry, shame and sadness, but lets
all take those chances. Rest easy
about your hard heart not being able
to really love any man, it may come
around yet like a sand hill crane light
ing on the placid surface of the lake,
or the step off the last step of the
stairway when you think there is one
more left and besides, if you are not
equipped for intense loving, you will
not suffer intense sorrows. For the
equipment operates the same in either
case. The Hired Man knows of a
w VI
sylvania two young. people were
lovers. They were teachers. The
young woman wanted to marry, but
the young man wanted to wait The
former drifted west soon after their
definite talk, fell in love with another
man, married him, raised four fine
boys and then. sorrow came. Within
three years she had buried every
member of her family. She then re-
turned to Pennsylvania where her
first lover was still unmarried. They |
met He knew of her sorrow. She
said: DO YOU now know, my old
friend, that | some times wish with |
trembling desire. that l had stayed |
here with you and we had lived unmar-
ried in each others affections" He |
said: MY widowed sweetheart, do
you not know that l too have been |
thinking this matter over much of |
late. / sometimes think it would |
have been better for me if we had
married when you righteously desir-
ed such, and then together have gone
west. | to have been the father of |
your family and with the four fine
lads have died" Therefore remem-
Der that he whom you feel was the
proper mate and you see him drifting
away from you, is only of manv you
can love before marriage, but the day
you marry, if you marry right, there
is no other.