The Washington herald., 1920-07-26
THE WIFE WHO UNDERSTANDS.

THE WIFE WHO UNDERSTANDS.
There is no complaint oftener on
women's lips than that their hus-
bands do not understand them. In
deed. It is this lack OF sympathetic
comprehension that turns matrimony
into Cinders, ashes and dust to many
woman who is married to a man
who is model OF all the virtues,
and a good provider. to boot.
The lack of vamps and sirens on
her horizon. and the possession of
pearls and limousines do not atone
to the wife for her husband not
understanding why she sheds tears
to express JOY. or nags most where
she loves most. or for his being un-
able to tell beforehand which way
she will jump in a crisis
1t is curious that women, who so
long for this sympathetic under
standing themselves, so seldom
realize that men are possessed by a
similar yearning. 1t is very seldom
that they do so, however. The aver
age wife makes just as little effort
to get beneath the outer skin of
her husbands personality as he does
20 get under hers.
me result is lUt W oman Is 10
the man merely a more or less dec
orative and useful piece of house
hold furniture. while the man is TO
the woman only cash register
and marriage is a failure because
they have missed the one thing
they most desired to find in matri-
mony-that is. divining love that
knows the things of ones soul
vii having n hava 1D
beled and diagrammed.
wives do not often think of their
husbands as pining to beunder-
stood, yet if you wish to measure
how great is a mans desire for
sympathetic comprehension you
have only to note how readily he
falls victim to any woman who
shows any intuition into what he
has done, or any appreciation of
what he is. 1t is significant that
when a married man strays off of
the straight and narrow path he is
far more apt to go with good lis
tener than with a peach.
Between a mans happiness and
misery in marriage lies his wife's
ability to comprehend why he is
what he is, and why he does certain
things. If she doesn't, If she sees
in him only the children's father
and a stodgy individual who is
wrapped up in business, and with
out a thought beyond the stock
market, marriage is a failure to
him. He is desperately lonely be-
cause he realizes he is tied for life
to the woman who doesn't under
stand. and never can understand.
What he would give his life fol
is a wife who could see that his
ceaseless toll, so that she may live
soft and easy, is a tribute of love
as fine as can be woven out of the
warp and woof of romance. What
he yearns for is a wife who com.
prehends that in working through
burning summers and freezing win.
ters, and keeping to his task nc
matter how loudly the highroac
calls or feels the woods temptation
man offers himself a daily livin.
sacrifice on the family altar.
Also he pines for a wife who ap.
preciates that a man does rot laoo,
and strive for bread alone, and tna'
success is not just so much NOR,
money in the bank. 1t is his crown
of victory. the tangible proof tha+
he was no weakling, but a mar
among men: one who has strive-
with worthy adversaries and ha
not been defeated. when it was hi
strength against theirs. his wi
pitted against their acumen.
All men long for this kind O
! sympathetic understanding from
their wives. but how many get IT
How many wives yown in thei
husbands facec when they talk o
their business at home? How man
How many wives yawn in thei
husbands, or ever tell their hus
bands that they are proud of thei
achievements?
! So pitably few, and there ar
$50 many hungry hearted men starv
ling for the few kind words tha
would make all their work and sac
lrifces for their families wort
while,
Probably IL men should give thei
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