Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-11-01
Little Problems
feMarriedLife
THROWING OVERHEARD THE OLD
FRIENDS.

GEORGE JORDAN


In that famous Journey Of Jonah the
prophet. from JOppa to Tarshish. neal.
y three thousand years ago. when the
wind and the tempest rose, and the
great waves washing over the little
:raft threatened to submerge 1t. they
threw Jonah overheard that the light
ened ship might ride easier in waters
smOOthed into peace and tranquility.
In this twentieth century. the old time
friends Of the husband are often SIM
.larly cast overheard from the ship of
matrimOny 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 IN
exposed position which makes 1t seem
that he merely fell overheard. II Is
the final result Of gentle. gradual
pushes instead Of mi bold, fearless
toss.
When a girl marries she does not
feel that the curtain has been rung
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 al of old they will
take interest In her new world and
she will retain rs best as she can the
threads Of the old relationships.
The husband usually is honestly glad
that her days alone may be frightened
a little by these friends, that she Is
getting out Of life al the happiness
| that she can. OF course he has very
little appreciation Of her old admir-
h ers; her fervor of approval Of their
\ good points seems to be more senti-
Y mental than judicial; he cannot i'm
N ngine what she can possibly huye ever
X seen in A, or Il, or the others down
ii the alphabet of her men friends. Wild
N CLllluSilSLH otSl t4ACbl - AiulAIy w Nv
expected but for her woma friends,
" except when they camp around the
NJ house at nll hours and make 1t impos-
N sible for him to have a quiet talk alone
III with her, he is usually complaisantly
III tolerant If not cordially encouraging.
| He does not always receive similar
M courtesy and consideration.
Nj When a man marries, ven his
5 truest, worthiest and best friends,
AZ those who have been close to him, who
Mn have been his confidunts, his chums
Essand his comrades, feel with sadness
that it has now come to the parting of
sthe ways They bid him goodbye, In
spirit If not in words, as though he
MAA:sxere going to some island in the
ss8South sea and they might see
him again. 1t Is not the natural drift,
sSM ing apart that comes from his ABSORB
I'M ton in his home, with new duties anG
aaX responsibilities that they fear; 1t Ii
S% that they will be disqualified by his
sHM wife-and that her secret influence
ss% will be turned against them. OF course
NM they do not think she Is just the ont
aa they would have picked out for him
ssSk for a man rarely does approve Of hi!
III friends wife as quite good enough fol
ssNN him, but they are willing to be mag
M unanimous, and let loyalty and CHART!
an wipe away prejudice. and ven believ'
s. that she Ia the wonder her HUSBAND
81 declares.
# II she be wise, for her own SAX
and that Of her husband, she will tr.
to make them her friends. too, ant
M guard carefully against their even be
M Ing washed overheard, much less be
IN ing thrown ruthlessly into a sea o
NH forgetfulness. II they already happel
MSs to be her friends as we'll, they usual,
@ss will be admitted into the home on he
M ticket and have q comfortable orches
S tra chair, but often, when it is other
ID, wise, the husband alone can issue bu
yg& q pass emitting the bearer to stand
ing roc only.
There are some wives who show
WI strange jealousy In trifles. They hav
WI q hunger for allness: they IRE not sa'
isfied with being merely supreme, an
first and best and most-they want I
be "only." They are not content wit
being the sun Of his life; they want I
be the sun and oil the constellation
too. They want to corne his emf
tional output and control the entil
market. They often seem to considt
his affection, regard. esteem, likin
and favor as his emotional cash on
that II he spends the least bit Of
elsewhere 1t IL taking just 10 muS
from them. Their constant fear
competition 10 q poor tribute to the
own powers.
When q man FIRST tells his swee
heart or his wife about his best frien
In his loyalty. generous pride. and co
ddence that he Ii speaking to welcor
Ing ears, he may boom him undul
Soon he may become conscious in
vague way that the audience In q b
cool and unenthusiastic, his words
not seem to carry . the f00tligh
and the applause IL faint md perfun
!, tory. When he tells Of the time VIII,
they rooined together at college al
pledged eternal friendship, It seems
her lust q bit young and sentiment
When his voice trembles q little at Il
cplsode Of the mining camp when h
friend nursed him through the fev
she snys: "Never mind, dear, now y,
won't need him, you have me to tai
care Of you."
Tho recital Of a story Of his frient