Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-29
Little Talks by
Beatrice Fairfax

Why is it that everyone else's
problems seem easier of solution than
our own? Is it that we get a bet
ter perspective on them, or because
we know none of the people involved
and our judgment is not warped bv
affection, prejudice or other emo
tions?
Before me IS letter from a wo-
man who has evidently done her best
in regard to an impossible domestic
situation. She and her husband are
growing apart, her most unselfish ef-
forts are disregarded, and while her
husband is making excellent wages
she is unable to save a cent or buy
the necessary clothes for herself OF
her children.
Still. none of the people concerned
see that the one solution of their
difficulties lies in breaking up the
home as it now exists-that two
households instead of one would save
what once was a happy marriage and
develop in the other a sense of re-
sponsibility in which they seem now
wholly lacking.
My correspondent says: II have
been married nine years and have
four children. The oldest is eight
Ny husbands father and two younger
brothers-both under draft age-have
been living with us since they landed
in this country, nearly two years
ago.
Making the Best of Wages
"All of them have excellent Jobs
and are making the best of wages,
when they first came they stopped
with us as guests for three months:
then as they were all working. the
three paid me thirty-five dollars a
month for room. board and washing.
You can readily see at the present
cost of provisions, that I fell behind
trying to room and board three men
at little under twelve dollars a
month apiece.
Still they always complained that
they were paying too much, and the
trouble was that 1 was a bad mana
ger. They suggested thaat I buy
food of a poorer quality and get it
at wholesale rates. So to keep
peace, 1 changed our way of living
and bought everything Wholesale.
but this did not please them any bet
ter than the first way. And they
thought ur another scheme:
Il was to put down in writing
everything I bought for the day and
they would pay a share of it, when
they ate their m 5als at home. This
did not satisfy them either, Miss
FAIRFAX, because you see they were
used to prices of food in their own
country and could not understand the
high cost of everything over here.
So they had still another way. but
1 was full to the neck by that time
with schemes.
They are now paying me forty
five dollars for the three meals a
day and two rooms and I am going
back, back, back all the time. NV
husband makes good wages, but 1
am unable to save anything at all
or get any clothing for myself or
my children. And my husband has
begun to side with them against
me that l am poor manager,
though he never thought so before
they came.
They Have Good Bank Accounts
In the meantime, they-my hus-
bands father and brothers-have all
got good bank accounts and add to
them regularly every week, besides
sending money to the family. still in
the old country. 1 am so tired with
doing all the work. bookkeeping,
catering, and trying to keep, what
was once happy home. going, that
I hope you will, at least, give me a
little sympathy.
"A CONSTANT READER"
You certainly have my sympathy.
Any one up against puzzle of this
sort has my sympathy. And 1 must
say when everyone is profiting by