New-York tribune., 1919-02-24
w life Goes to
School to Win
Husband Back
Soldier Whom War Has
Trained Comes Back to
Find Spouse In f erior
Red Cross Help 8
Former Presser, Now Bank
Teller, Driven TO Gamble
by Conditions at Home

The Brooklyn Civilian Relief of the
American Red Cross is trying to make
helpmate of woman whose husband
was presser when he entered the
army and an expert accountant with
q position as paying teller in New
York bank when he left military ser
vice.
Upon such experiments depend the
solution of as vital problem as the
Red Cross has been called upon to
solve. 1t is the problem' Of the man
whom the war Transformed and his
wife who failed to progress. This one
was thrust upon the Brooklyn chapter
with a report that the man, finding his
nome surroundings distasteful, was
frequenting gambling houses.
tie has agreed now to cooperate with
the Civilian Relief in finding way out
OF the difficulty. Gust give us the
same chance with your wife that the
government gave you." pleaded Mrs.
Janet Anderson, director of the organ
szation, and he yielded.
Case Is Declared Tvpical
This is only one of many such prob-
lems," Mrs. Anderson said Yesterday
but it is typical. 1t is an East New
York family. One little Russian Jew of
tine intellectual calibre came to this
country and after failing to find any
1hlng better became a presser. While
an pesslmistic mood he fell in love with
=, llttle orthodox girl and married her
She was a good girl in every way. but.
naa nae Iost none of the customs Of the
ola country. She rarely wore shoes
or stockings. did not know what a cor.
set was and had a board on barrel
Al .ne dlnlng room for d table.
ne young man was drafted. and
curing one of the battles was gassed
,When he was discharged his heart had
become affected and he could no longer
work at pressing. The Vocational
,hra1nlng Board took him in hand and
ne studied accounting. Now he is as
sistant paying teller in one of the
city,s largest banks.
80 much for the soldier. 1t sounds
fine, but one day he did not return
nome and nothing was heard of him
Tor several days. Then we found he
had gambIed away his weeks pay. He
told US frankly he no longer could
said when he came home he found his
rooms. crowded with chattering neigh
Dors, IN whom and with whom he had
no interest. There was no place where
ne could draw away and think or read
or study. And he did not find himself
in sympathy with his wife
Chance for Wife Sought
"The situation was serious, but we
told him he had been away and seen
the world, had been given chance and |
had grown, while his wife had re-
NAMED bacl. home under the M same ,Ie con-
ditions and without any stimulation to
lift her up. We asked for a chance to
work with her
Now one of our women has taken
her in hand and already has convinced
her that corsets are worn in the
United States, that the best of people
affect shoes and stockings and that
table Is much pleasanter to eat from
than barrel. We have taken the old
mother and placed her with another
sister, where she will be much hap
pier, and We are sending the young
wife to school and generally cultivat-
ing her. We have sincerest hopes that
the family Will be happy again.
During the war we tried to keen
the soldiers family normal while he
was away by sending the children TO
school, buying food for the family
paying doctors bills and instalments
on furniture, and in other WAYS aug
menting the meagre and depleted in
come represented by the soldiers al
lotment. But now we are facing the
problem Of the soldier outgrowing his
family The ordinary man, who be-
came soldier through enlistment or
the draft, has seen some of the world
and is no longer satisfied with his nm
Interesting little wife, the crying chill
dren and the drab existence of his un-
paidfor home"