The Washington herald., 1920-12-22

ing.
But tears do not avail with every
man. There. are men who feel like
inviting every lachrymose lady to
come and sob II out on their shoul-
ders. There are other men to whom
a woman's tears are like a red rag
to mad bull. and who jump up and
grab their hats and bang the front
door behind them the minute they
see a woman's upper lip begin to
tremble and her nose commence 70
get red.
Therefore. the wise woman makes
careful note of how her husband
reacts to brine. whether It softens
or pickles him. and she pins her
faith to the tear jug. or throws II
into the junk in the garbage can ac-
cordingly. IL the first time q bride
weeps her husband pats her on the
shoulder and says. There, there. of
well to cultivate her tear ducts, bur
IL he scowls at her and tells her not
to be a fool, she Is a fool IL she
doesn't can the sob stun.
II a man is inclined to be tyran-
nical and high tempered. then a
woman's only chance is to beat him
1t first, and develop ways that have
to be catered to, and a temper that
makes him stand in awe and won
der. Women can do this because
when II comes to an argument no
man can out-talk one of the female
persuasion. He lacks the swiftness
and staying powers to do 1t.
Nerves and, weak hearts are
weapons with which thousands of
women keep their husbands in an
abject state of slavery to them, but
to make use of a physical infirmity
that appeals to a mans sympathy
and tenderness to get your own way
is not playing the game. It's hit
ting below the belt. IL is winning
out on a foul and no woman with a
drop Of real sporting blood in her,
or any sense of honor. would make
Ill health, real or pretended, the
means of getting around her hus-
band.
One likes to think of women
achieving results in a subtler man
ner- and using more diplomacy in
dealing with their husbands. In
its most elementary form this con-
sists Of a wife's using some discre-
tion in choosing the time, and place.
and conditions in which to make a
request, or to impart to her hus-
band some of the necessarily un-
pleasant facts of daily domestic ex-
istence.
Certainly any woman deserves to be
in an asylum for tine feebleminded
who doesn't know that a man who is
tired and nerve racked and hungry
at the end of hard days work is
as dangerous to handle as a sore
headed bear. while 1.-The same man
two hours later, after he has been
fed. and soothed, and rested is SO
gentle and domesticated that he will
eat out of your hand, and jump
through the hoop, or do pretty much
everything else you want him to
do.
One of the things that every wom-
an knows is that men have a ruling
passion for being deferred to. to
having their advice asked and hav-
ing official Proclamation made that
they are the heads of the house. II
you will grant a man this empty
honor you may do with him as you
choose, and why women so seldom
take the trouble to kowtow to their
lords and masters, when the reward
is thing that always, fills me with
amazement.
If woman wants a new car; II
she wishes to have the living-room
done over in brown, or to send John
on to college, she can announce that
she is going to have him do these
things and either get them after a
bloody fight with her husband, II
he's the sort of a man who will give
in at the last, or not get them at
all IL he is the sort that sticks when
he gets his back up.
Or the woman can say to her hus-
band: my dear, I believe you are
right in thinking we needed a new
car. Didn't you say that 1t was a
Humpty Dumpty twenty, with
mauve lining. you like? You are
such a wonderful Judge of motors
and know so much about machin.
cry. 1 wonder il you could take
an hour off and help me decide on
the living-room decoration. Your
taste Is SO artistic, and I'd like to
have you see the browns 1 looked
at, ;" or 'I have been thinking 1t over
and am sure you have selected the
right school for John" etc.
And husband will say: Certainly;
do as you please" for the funny
thing is that men never notice
whether you take their advice OF
not. Nor do they care. All they
want is to have their women folk
pay them the compliment of ask
ing 1t.
All of which, and much more, Is
what Mr.. George meant when he
said that any woman who was no,
an idiot found out on her weddine
trip whether it was better to swear
or cry.