The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-11-02
Little Problems
GcW1arried Life
NNNN~N~~ - a
By
WILLIAM GEORGE JORDAN
THROWING OVERHEARD THE OLD
FRIENDS.
toopyrLghIl

prophet, from Joppa to IarShiSh, near
ly three thousand years ago, when the
wind and the tempest rose, and the
great waves washing over the little
craft threatened to submerge 1t, they
threw Jonah overheard that the light
ened ship might ride easier in waters
smcothed into peace and tranquility.
In this twentieth century, the old time
friends of the husband are often sim
ilarly cast overheard from the ship of |
that its burden may be
lightened and the waves of home dis |
cord may be stilled,
The direct primitive simplicity of |
the Jonah incident is rarely followed |
today. 1t is usually accomplished by |
tact and tactics, by seeming innocent |
comments and criticisms, by delicate |
diplomacy, by placing the friend in an
exposed position which makes it seem
that he merely fell overheard. 1t is
the final result of gentle, gradual
pushes instead of one bold, fearless
toss.
When a girl marries she does not
feel that the curtain has been rung
down on the nearest and best in her
old life. Her girl friends do not give
her up for lost and feel that she has
passed forever out of their love, sym
pathy, regard and companionship. Her
life has but broadened; they will visit
her and she them as of old; they will
take interest in her new world and
she will retain as best as she can the
threads of the old relationships.
The husband usually is honestly glad
that her days alone may be frightened
little by these friends, that she is
getting out of life all the happiness
that she can. OF course he has very
little appreciation of her old admir-
ers; her fervor of approval of their
good points seems to be more senti-
mental than judicial; he cannot i'm
agine what she can possibly have ever
seen in A, or B, or the others down
the alphabet of her men friends. Wild
enthusiasm over them is hardly to be
expected but for her woman friends,
except when they camp around the
house at all hours and make it impos-
sible for him to have quiet talk alone
with her, he is usually complaisantly
tolerant if not cordially encouraging
He does not always receive similar
courtesy and consideration.
When q man marries, even his
truest, worthiest and best friends
| those who have been close to him, whC
have been his confdants, his chum
and his comrades, feel with sadness
that it has now come to the parting o
the ways. They bid him goodbye, il
spirit il not in words, as though HI
were going to some island in thu
South seas and they might never SCI
! him again. 1t is not the natural drift
| ing apart that comes from his absorb
! ton in his home, with new duties anC
| responsibilities that they fear; 1T i
that they will be disqualified by hi
wife-and that her secret influence
will be turned against them. OF course
they do not think she is just the ont
they would have picked out for him
for a man rarely does approve of hi:
friends wife as quite good enough fol
him, but they are willing to be mag
unanimous, and let loyalty and charit!
wipe away prejudice, and even believ,
that she is the wonder her husband
declares.
If she be wise, for her own SAX
and that of her husband, she Will tr'
TO make them her friends, too, ant
guard carefully against their even be
ing washed overheard, much less be
ing thrown ruthlessly into a sea
forretfulness. If they already happel
TO be her friends as well, they usual
will be admitted into the home on he
ticket and have comfortable Orches
ira chair, but often, when it is other
wise, the husband alone can issue bu
a pass emitting the bearer to stano
ing room only.
There are some wives who show
strange jealousy in trifles. They nav
a hunger for allness; they are not sal
isfied with being merely supreme, an
first and best and most-they want [
he "only." They are not content VII
being the sun of his life; they want
be the sun and all the consultations
too. They want to corner his emo
tional output and control the entlr
market. They often seem to conside
his affection, regard, esteem, Hkln
and favor as his emotional cash an
that if he spends the least bit OF
. elsewhere it is taking just so niue
from them. Their constant fear 9
; competition is a poor tribute to thel
/ own powers.
When a man first tells his swee
heart or his wife about his best frien'
in his loyalty, generous pride, and COZ
, fidence that he is speaking to WELDON
ing ears, he may boom him undul,
Soon he may become conscious In
vague way that the audience is b
cool and unenthusiastic. his words q
| not seem to carry over the footlighl
: and the applause is faint and perfun
' tory. When he tells of the time whe
I they roomed together at college an
pledged eternal friendship, it seems
her Just bit young and sentimental
E When his voice trembles little at Il
onisofa of fine mining camp when h