The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-16
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY E. HOUSE
(Fron Philadelphia Public Ledgtf.l
THE HAPPY HOME LIFE


Or
The Joys OF Domcsticity Revealed
SCENE-A Living Room
CHARACTERS-A Us.
Adeiaide-You needn't start read
ing; you've got to talk TO me a little
while.
Us-what do you want me to say?
Adelaide-There's new rule in
this family.
Cs-What is it?
Adelaide-Every day when you
come home from work you must talk
to me for half an hour.
Us-It can't be done. Nobody can
talk to anybody for half a hour. You
take two persons who are garrulous;
they might talk to each other for five
minutes, maybe. but after that the
conversation would lag. I'm not gar
rulous.
Adelaide-Other men talk to their
wives.
Us-Td like to know what they find
, to say to them.
Adelaide-Women are just as smart
as men; their conversation is just as
intelligent.
Us-I sometimes think they're more
| intelligent You go out and listen to
some man talk and then be thankful
1 don't say much If a man isn't tell
1 ing you how good he is. he's telling
you how they run over him at the Of
| flee or how he got the better of some
| body in a verbal encounter. II says
to him." and "he says to me"-thats
mans line of conversation.
Adelaide-Well, that's another thing
we agree upon.
Us-That makes two things We've
agreed upon since we were married.
or is it three?
Adelaide-Do you know everything's
higher than it was a year ago?
| U.s. didn't know, but what differ
ence does it make?
Adelaide-How ridiculous of you to
| y Cs-What difference does my atti
tude make? It's out of my hands. l
told the people two years ago that
would no longer be responsible for
prices.
/ Adelaide-What do you suppose I
paid for that corn you're eating?
| U.s. haven't an :dea; what did
you pay? 1t doesn't make any diff
ference, of course; but if 1 have to
talk. have to talk.
Adelaide-I paid sixty-five cents a
dozen.
Us-weIl we can't expect every
thing from Mr.. Wilson; he kept-us out
| of war, you know.
| Adelaide believe, at heart. you're
for Cox.
U.s. felt friendly to Cox because
they claim he is a newspaper man.
But that was before I read his speech
| of acceptance. After read his speech
knew he wasn't a newspaper man
| and lost interest. No newspaper man
could have written that speech.
: Adelaide-We just bolt our food.
Us-We have to bolt it. If you
ever stopped to consider what it cost
you'd say We couldn't afford to eat it.
Adelaide-What lot of cream you
use.
Us-wcll. we're not rich; far from
it. But we have enought to buy all the
cream 1 want to use.
Adelaide-You'd be better off if you
ate less rich food.
Us-How could I be better off-a
clear conscience. a charming wife and
nothing to do but earn a living. What
more could any man ask?
Adelaide-Tm sorry you wrote that
thing about Mayme You gave her
very much the worst of it. She won't
like it.
Us-Mayme's good sort; she won't
care.
Adelaide-My family has always
4 been very nice to you.
Us-Ive always been nice to them.
| We're good friends. 1t isn't everybody
who gets along as well with his wife :
relatives as I do.
! Adelaide-What I don't like is that
when you write anything about me. or
| about the family. you always give
yourself the best of 1t. Why don't you
| give us the best of it once in a while ?
us-That just shows you how un-
reasonable a woman can be. How
could 1 make people believe I am
| smart or clever if I permit YOU or
your family to get the better of me in
a conversation? In order to convince
the readers of the column that I am
pretty keen I've got to have all the
| fat lines. can't be thinking of
smart things for other people to say.
+. Adelaide-You remember the time
you had an engagement to go driving
with me, and took Frances Solomon in
stead?
permitted to forget it. OF course l
/ could have forgotten it. There's beer.
plenty of time. 1t must be all OF fiji