The New York herald., 1921-02-27
Problem of the Discouraged Wife
Road to Happiness Which Has Been Travelled
Back in the Connecticut Hills.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD: 7 can
tell "a. W." what WILL help his wife.
It will take heroic sacrifice on his part
and that OF his growing family, but It's
the only sure cure where intellectual
couipunction has set IN. due in this case.
| it would seem. TO germ infection from
feninistic urge.
By "A. WIS" own account this woman
has already performed herculean labors
OF altruistic devotion. She has In all
conscience contributed her share In over
flowing measure to the useful work of
the world and should at once be inducted
into tho honor5 and emoluments OF her
r.ghtful place In the reserves. If "a. W."
really wishes to save her middle age he
must turn about face and loosen at least
score Of the shacleles that ore dragging
more and more heavily upon her.
He must secure to her and insist upon
her taking as her Just due a whole lot
of time for herself. Doubtless like the
rest Of US she had in her youth ideals
OF intellectual or artistic achievement.
Her lovo for him swamped for a time
her instinct for self-development. but
this. II long suppressed. has left sore
spots OF which he may well beware, for
II neglected now they will spread till
in old age they become an obsession Of
irritation and unrest. "a. W." knows
some one thing-very likely useless to
himself and in IT'S nature even setting
him back--his wife would simply love
to be doing. II is UP to him to give her
now, with absolute unsel1shness, a self
respecting chance to do 1t.
can best illustrate what mean from
my own experience. I am q woman IN
the sixties. Moro and more my ruling
passion reverts to what it was in the
vivid days OF early girlhood---to know.
to ask and even TO learn. MY husband
10 the same. so we cut OH. aon-essen-
tails and live in simplicity away back
in our Connecticut hills. Little worry
I'VE over our small housekeeping. share
and shared alike, but tho golden leisure
OF winter for reading the significant
books OF the day and the freedom to
believo what we please. a luxury in those
times OF legislated mental pabulun,--
well, II they'll guarantee heaven to be
anything like it we'll condeseend to go
there when we're through hese
Tor a concrete instance, oile thing
am spending months on at present is
harmony. Always melodies have kept
coming into my mind, every lyric was
sung and SO remembered. But ! did
not study music until past forty and
only lately have become able really to
compose.
What more fascinating pursuit than
learning to use the piano like clay to
carry on with intelligence the intriguing
alienation OF consonance and dissonance
any sounded chord sets going? It IL
work requiring concentration. sensitive
memory and courage for endless details.
all Of which things occupy the attention
to the exclusion Of self-castigation. One
Is sure one Is doing something and the
mind Is made whole. Moreover, the re-
actions Of any loved art or study pur-
sued for its own sake on the emotions
and imagination are priceless for old age.
Over that twilight they cast roseate
hue recalling once moro the glories Of
l!fe's morning.
Now IL "a. w" is minded to take up
In earnest tho difficult task, in this day
and age OF the world. OF restoring to
happiness a wife fallen into discomfort,
he will need moral bracing and 1 would
recommend as a tonic at hand that he
read "Tho Life and Death of Harriet
Frean," just finished in the North AntoTi-
odf Revieio FOR March. Not that his
wife. so efficient and unselhsil. resembles
IN the least the Intellectual and anach-
ronistic Harriet, but tho picture here
drawn Of age stealing upon Il woman,
maid or married, devoid OF tho stimulus
afforded by congenial intellectual pre-
occupations, IS an 'orrible example Of
what mental atrophy does TO it's victims
and will motivate "a. w" TO action.
Probably no had better not pass on the
took TO his wife Just yet It is too patho-
logical. May Sinclair has written It not
with the pen but with tho scalpel. She
has deity carved of from every portion
of the anatomy OF woman quivering sliv-
crs OF flesh that make her work a mar
vel for the laboratory, but hardly con-
ducive to the gayety of the family circle.
PANACEA.
DANBUnr, Conn, February &c.