The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-08-31

her eye, and he scratches the piano
and muses. the sofa cushions and
spots the table cloth.
And when she tells him about what
high crimes and misdemeanors he 10
committing this a%ggravating husband
doesn't even answer her back. He Just
smiles and says that people with Q
don't worry disposition like his live to
be ninety, And his wife says that It's
all killing hes, and what shall She do'
And when | read the letter | didn't
know whether to laugh or cry, be-
cause in the face Of the great TRACE
dies that | have seen deyastatc mar
ried life so often, a soiled collar or a
pair OF silk socks or a spot on the
table cloth seem SO poor a thing for
one to wreck ones happiness over.
| thought of the wives ! have known
whose husbands feet were a shame to
them when they cam stumbling, blind
drunk, up the street. and | thought
that these women would not have
cared what kind Of socks their hus-
bands had on II they had been sober
enough to walk straight | thought OF
wives who sat up night after night, sol
itary and alone, their hearts torn by
every demon Of SuspicioW and jealousy,
while they waited for dissolute hus-
bands If bnly their husbands would
have spent their evenings at home
And | thought of cruel Husbands VINO
never spoke to their wives except to
say something that cut like a whip
and Of ty~rannical husbands before
whom their wives trcmbled and of
grouchy husbands who made their
homes like a funeral parlor in which no
one had the heart or courage to speak
above a whisper, and ! thought how
gladly would any OF these wiye, change
places with the woman whose hus-
bands only faults are that he isn't
tidy and dressy and careful of the fur
nlture,
Nevertheless, this unhappy wife's
grievance IS a real grievance and it is
true that she is letting it wreck her
life. The pebble in the shoe can spoil
the finest outing and the grain of sand
in the eye keep us from seeing the
most beauteous landscape.
OF course the chief fault in this par
ticular case where marriage is proving
a failvrc Is the woman's She is max
ing a mountain out OF a mole hill.
Providence having vouchsafed her no
real trouble, she has gone to work,
woman-l,ke, and manufactured a whole
bunch OF suffering and martyrdom out
OF nothing, II she had an ounce Of
common sense OF philosophy she would
follow old Omar's advice and take
the sweet and let the bitter 60" and
pick up after her husband and wash
out the spots on the table cloth and
thank God that she hadn't anything
worse to do,
The husband, however, is to blame
this far, that he laughs at his wifc's
point of view instead of trying to get it.
A happy marriage necessitates many adj
justments and none is more important
than for husband and wife to see the
little things of daily life from the SAINT
angle and get the zane perspective on
them. 1t doesn't do for one to regard
them as triiles and the other as matter,
{ Of life and death,
t This is particularly true in the matte,
Of personal neatness, Women arc al
y ways being advised as to the necessit
!. of keeping themselves looking attractiv
to their husbands, and are warned tina
e frowsy wrappers and curl papers an,
d sloppiness and slovenliness will disil
e fusion and disgust any husband OF
E earth.
Nobody ever a y a word TO met
! about keeping themselves barbered ant
shaved, and with spotless linens ant
well pressed clothes in order to retain
their wives affection. Yet women care
thousandfold more for looks and gooc
clothes than men do. and nothing il
more calculated to wreck loves younI
dream than a three days stubble o
beard on a masculine chin, hair tina
struggles over a soiled collar, and a sui
that looks as if it has been slept in ant
: that suggests that the owner ought t
Awear a bib when he eats.
How a dainty, refined woman who al
ways looks as II she had Just come on
OF a bandboS can keep in love with
husband who looks as il he needed Il
be run through a steam laundry and tn
grass mower, is one Of the mysteries o
the feminine heart and tina, we Sha'
never understand. Perhaps she doesn'
Anyway. the theory that a wiic'S al
lection is proof against her husband,
>lovenlmesS is one that men will do we
not to put too much faith in O,he
wives may secretly be discontinued a
this complaining wife is.
Also IT is undoubtedly discoutagin
to- a who i' irving to keep
neat house to have a husband WI
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