The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-27

! but spend the money that father is
| shaving for ten hours a day, and it
makes me kind of sore"
You're right. The wives that talk
the 1oudest about wasted talents
usually cannot even cook decent
breakfast, and that martyr stuff don't
go down with most women. 1t may
| get sympathy from men admirers
| when they lift their eyes appealingly
but we girls who do work. know it
for just plain bunk"
Yes, l think the fashions in mar
tyrs have gone out. My grandmother
shaved about eighteen hours a day
and the old rhymes about From
break of day. to setting sun, woman's
work is never done went all right in
her day; but the modern city dame
has nothing to do but sign checks and
knit sweaters for her Pekinese
poodle"
"Of course, Mayme. I'm not saying
men are all to the good. Gawd knows,
they're gay devils mostly; but I do
think a wife that goes into the mar
riage game with her eyes open and
isn't sold and delivered while yet in
a convent, ought to do her part, and
bear a few of the burdens. and be a
good sport. If 1 ever tie up to a nice
guy, and add 'Missus' to my list of
titles. I do hope I'll be game, and
work on fiftyfifty basis. No martyr
stuff for mine; I'll do my part. and
be cheerful and busy, and if the hero
turns out to be a lemon. l suppose
III just give him the air. But in the
years while I'm spending his bank
roll. ! certainly won't play the abused
wife"
You know, Bessie. I hate to adj
nit 1T. but women as a sex don't seem
to have as much sporting blood as
men. You don't often hear husbands
playing for sympathy and telling how
they come home tired, only to find
Friend Wife complaining that she
isn't appreciated. Yet lots of men
have that fate. On the other hand
bunch of skirts to get together and
describe what poor sticks husbands
are and tell all about the disillus-
SIONMENTE of marriage. II they go
into culture and hubby don't know
who Maeterlinck is, they are intellec-
tually misunderstood" Rot"
These philosophic observati ons in
the vernacular really ring true. One
type of woman delights in using her
modern leisure in introduction ana
complaint. She has been fed up on
flattery and pesudo- gallantry about
American wives being the best and
fairest and most brilliant in the
world and Queen of the Home" She
observes an occasional unmarried
friend who has climbed to eminence
in some OF the arts and is enjoying
little well-earned fame and pros
perity.
Immediately she jumps to the Idea
shat, had she chosen the single state.
she would have easily won renown.
Having visions of monetary success
and plaudits for the qualification of
her vanity, she turns naturally to the
man whom she married and blames
him for her blasted career" In her
querulous efforts to remould her
spouse she finds that he revolts and
"misunderstands' her Surely he is
"sordid'
In few instances would she have
been able to make splash in the
creative world. for efficiency will out.
and in these days of comparative lei
sure married women can carve ca
reer if they really are endowed with
considerable energy and talent and
desire 1t is a poor excuse. there
fore. to lay at the door OF marriage
itself ones Incidence or failure. Es-
pecially is it absured to blame the in
dividual man, except in rare instances,
in which he has been narrow and
domineering, and absolutely forbid
den any intellectual expression or
activities