Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-07-29
PITY THE POOR HUSBAND
Complains That Friend Wife Refuses
to Bake Biscuits as of Old

The long and dismal wall of
Denver husband" occupies most of
the editorial page of recent issue of
the Denver Post. The poor man is
beside himself because 1.-The old
home amt what it used to be-" He
begins with the meals at home and
! most of his complaint lies in the
seeming injustice done to his stom
ach by the wife who once was the
best cook in town. He recalls the
| old days like this:
"And such a dinner as it was!
There were biscuits, good and brown,
mashed potatoes, heaped up in the
| center like a volcano, with lump of
butter oozing down the sides, and
good steak, and other trimmings.
| The dining room table was set, with
the silver all bright and cleaning,
and it really was a pleasure. For
dessert there would be pie, with a
good, short crust, or strawberry
shortcake or something else that
made a man glad he was alive. The
house was always spick and span,
and certainly was happy hus-
band"
But the horrific change has
brought about this desperate state of
affairs:
"Now, everythings different. 1
get home at night and wait fifteen
or twenty minutes before my wife
gets there She makes one dive for
house dress, and another for the
canned goods. The next thing that
I know, I'm sitting down at the
kitchen table, eating sardines or
tuna fish or ported ham and bakers
bread and that sort of thing. My
wife says she doesn't serve dinner in
the dining room any more because it
makes so much work. The only
thing she doesn't seem to worry
about is the dishes-because l wash
| them.
"She's always kicking about how
hard she has to work in the house
and / can't understand it. 1 give
her more money than l used to. She
has a vacuum cleaner which takes
the place of the broom she used to
| use, aud that ought to save a lot of
work. Then she has an electric
| washer and a motor sewing ma
! chine and an electric iron, and she
cooks on a gas range where she used
| to use hot coal stove and seeming
ly enjoy it. can't understand it."
While our heartstrings are ting
ling with pity Tor the old boy, we
wonder Just how long a period his
melancholy, remorseful reminisc-
ences cover. Perhaps some perth
nent facts about the conduct of this
home have been unwittingly omitted,
not only from the letter but possibly
also from the logical processes of
this weary masculine soul. How
often, we ponder, has the alleged in
glorious wife been urged to take a
little vacation. Has she been ex-
pectedN to make hot biscuits and
chase the problems of the household
every day for the past thirty years,
without a break in winter or sum-
mer? Is she Just naturally a plod-
der in the view of her helpmate or
does he mention his practic of those
earlier years, of talking things over
and seeking to entertain and to cheer
his life partner along the way? You
see, she may not be merely a matter
of fact routine worker, happy in run
ming the treadmill, and ecstatic over
the reward of seeing a contended old
mossback sitting comfy with his pipe
on the 'front.' porch, "nlle SHe OcCu-
pies herself with swatting the fly.
There is something wrong with
the man who flies to a newspaper
with his troubles and under the COW
er of a mysterious signature details
| the failure of his humdrum wife. II
it would not be too much of a shock,
resort to the old affectionate ways
of the long ago by the ruffled hus-
band might make of that wife a new
woman. The point of view of the
Denver husband" is narrow and
| limited, and we will wager that the
wife Is a real parsonage with capa-
bilities for home making and for
home happiness that the old boy has
! never understood or appreciated.
The junior partner is probably seek
| ing to make the most of her life un
| der a depressing handicap.
1t takes cooperation and consid-
Grafton, sunshine and cheer, to make
the real American home. 1t is lack
of those things that are better than
riches, the neglect of thoughtful,
kindly ways and suggestions, the
running into the groove of self that
makes for the dull, drab existence
that hangs crepe on the door of
happiness. The attractions and dis
fractions of this hurlyy burly day
will not seriously disturb the happy
home of the spirit of the contract is