Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-21
TIE FAMILY PARASITE.


and the problem becomes insoluhle when
!, is n matter of deciding how Tar the wiie
= entitled Co sacrifice her husband TO
her own people. ,.l,.
"A a general thing. men have healthy
selfshncss that makes them look out toi
themselves. and leave others to shut loI
themselves, though occasionally you ma
one with an ingrowlng consclence VIZ IL n
the patient ass on whom are packed ~,
,hc family burdens We all know old |
hacbcIors who have never married because
,hc;r ,o,,th was spent in toiling to support
their Younger brothers and SISTERS, ana
,,Losc nocketbooks arc still regarded rs a |
family ill into which everyone has per- |
fcct righ, 10 dip their hands
We also know men who can never re-
sist an appeal for assistance from % thell
brothers and sisters, and who help theln
AZ the expense Of their own wives ana
Children. Sometimes you VIII see 'nti.y
Industrious woman working herself 10
death 60 save up the money that her h'ls-
hand laylshes upon an extravagant SISTER |
or n ne'er-do-wcll brother.
BLOOD ties are not, however, apt 70 be so
strong with men rs they are with women
IL is women who are still bound, hand ana
foot 10 the family from which they
sDr,',ne even after they have families OF
their own. 4 woman's sense OF loyalty
is hardly ever as great TO her husoahn
a. IL is 70 her own people, and Tor TINS
reason a woman offers up her husband as
the sacrifcial goat on her family altar iar
oftencr than a man does his wife
There are not many men mean enough
20 take AWAY from their wives the money
that they have saved up 20 buy a new
drrss or coveted bit of furniture, or TO
nav for A much needed vacation, and give
Il their own kindred There are not many
men inconsiderate enough OF their wives
comfort 20 keep their own houses so filled
With their own kins-people that there IS
neither peace nor quiet IN 1T nor even
place 90 sleep except upon a bumpy
rn.kedown bed in the living-room, or an
.dam mainline couch constructed on the
dining table.
Vet women do these things continually
IAc-r are thousands upon thousands OF
un.n who literally spend their lives from
.he d,y of their marriage TO the hour OF
their death. toiling for their wives family:
Ther~ are thousands upon thousands OF
mrn who never have any chance TO get
>hrnd and who are kept poor by their
wives giving away everything they earn
20 their own people.
And there are millions OF men VINO never
know what it is 70 have their houses 70
theulselvcs. and who are literally eaten
out of house and home by their wives
relatives.
Whether the cali OF the family is louder,
A. a woman than the call Of her mate
nobody knows. but when mother writes
that she needs a new set Of teeth. and that
Rob is ao shabby and must have new
suit Of clothes, and n new pair OF shoes,
and he hasn't the money for them be-
cause be hssn { had job for SIX months,
and Sally writes that her little Johnny
has 81 have his adenoids taken out ana
they haven't the whercwlthal 20 pay
the doctor, the woman who gets the Ietter
robs her husband Of the money 70 pay ior
he- fanilv's needs. although she knows
that he can i'll spare IT, and il means harder
work and deprivation 20 him.
And when Jennie writes that she would
IKE 10 come and spend the winter ard
take music lessons, Jennies aunt installs
her IN the best room and dooms her poor
nerve-racked husband 20 months OF
torment while his tortured ears are assall-
"a hv all means Of discords
Chef among the saints and martyrs,
are the men who are the victims OF their
wives families Great are their suherlngs
here below. and great shall be their re-
Uard hereafter. but what night have women
rs thrltst the martvr's crown on the men
they marry? Whist night have either men
~ women 70 sacrifice the one they marry
70 ANYBODY else3
None VI oreover, il isn't playing the
game for II any man should say TO
woman, before marriage, that she could
have what was left over sitter he got
through providing for his trihing relations,
there would be nothing dong IN the mstr-
monial line there. Nor would any man lsad
smAiden 70 the altar If be knew that when
he married her he WAS also espouslng
4 .-.I p hG~ q nH
sister-. and brother-in-lsw, and sisters
in-lsw, and uncle, and aunts, and nleces
and nenhews, snd an invisible bread
line that stretched out TO her remotest
relatives.
The real rcaeon that families are 50
ANXIOUS 20 have their girls marry money
"A bs-rsuse they know they can all spong
ON Mary. She is always good for touch
It's Alwaye daughter and sister that tn
family hold up when they want funds
It's his wife's mother, and father, anG
widowed SISTER, that man supports nln'
times out Of ten. Not his own. hls SISTER
husband is taking care OF them.
OF course there are family obligations
The blood il does give certain claims tina
we are 81 obliged TO honor, but there cal
re no doubt that we make too much o
them and that we enooorage parasIteasu
IN our families.
All Of US have relatives who, when the,
have money. blow il IN like drunkel
sailors. They count the cost OF notnnl
and indulge themselves ID the wndes
extravagances. They would not do this
but would save their money, If they di'
not know that they had some relative
who was an easy mark, and who woul'
not let them suffer, when their none,
was gone. All of US have Larry, shntless
n. er-do-wen relatives whom we sup
port because they viii not work. All Q
rs are called upon to pay the do ctor
bills Of those whose pride viii not le
them 20 70 public hospital, but permit
them 20 beg from US.
These family parasites should D
louped of and made 70 stand alone. W
do them tine greatest harm that one hu
man being can do another when we en-
courage them in becoming dependents
And TINS view is especially commende'
70 women.
Lauds Dorothy Dix's Work.