The Washington times., 1923-04-02
MI TCHELL CASE
PROBLEM FOR
WIVES
What Should Average Ameri-
can Woman Do, Asked and
Answered by Analyst.
By VIOLA BROTHERS SHORE.
Copyright, 1928, by Cosmopolitan
NAwa GaFvicAl

4A4AA<ADA1AdA 44A&-s %AEAAA 90 ~@S~N
would the average wife do, II con
ronted today with the problem OF
Mrs. Frances Stotesbury Mitchell
proud daughter of socially prom
inent family worth millions in
worlds goods? What would any
wife do IL placed IN Mrs. Mitchell
shoes, and then was convinced her
husband had been gallivanting about
the bright lights of Broadway with
a butterfly of the Dot King type,
lavishing money, jewels and clothes
upon her?
Remember that Mrs. Mitchell has
two children, one a daughter aged
twelve. and a boy of five. Remem'
Der that her father Is one OF the
most powerful financial leaders IN
the country, and her mother Is a
social arbiter. 49,,
Remember these things and then
recall that Frances marriage TOUT
teen years ago, to the then nlvIe .
socially prominent =. So
Mitchell was regarded az an eAcel,
lent match from the OeoeooO
aspiring standpoint.
American Wives Problem.
And what would the average wife
uo .nnarently without hesitation,
NrsEMitchell announced Wnen tne
scandal involving her huspano W.
iirst made public thaL sne Wa a...
stand by her husband. @ Nv ~.
she has sought the prlVaey -
boudoir on Fashionable n,.,;,,S
SQUARE. closed the door 10 eIle g. -
husband and. II reports may 70 ~
lieved. contemplates divorce. -.
n this change of heart on W. -,
Mitchelps part is true, Ineh 49,
has If occurred? Is the rsci9 "a
natural. after finding her OeleA a.
ser husband shaken by ms own az
mission of philandering!
act that a wonaan's naturaI I'M
nulse is to be rid OF q man MM'
las deceived her, betrayed ner.
placed her in the most nurIalla tiiik
r,osition a woman can De IN!
Would nine out OF ten women
,'lnhesitatingly forgive their nus
aands or would they. for appear
noes sake, stick only untii th~
snolxe. Of scandal has died down.
he searchlight Of publicity turned
elsewhere, and then separate quietly:
Would a woman act the same
way IL she were told the same
facts regarding her husband In hef
own boudoir, and there was no al
tendant newspaper publicity-lo
searching eyes Of the world watch
ng the changing expression OF ner
face? Would she do the same
hing IL there were no children. no
social or business prestige involved
for her family?
Views Of Ten Women.
To get wives viewpoints today.
asked ten married women what
they would do. Most of them re-
piled they would stick by their
husbands, because it was the
sporting thing to do"
For a big, fine gesture, a woman
always finds courage; 1t Is only in
The little things that she is bad
sport The spotlight is one reason.
When one is in a spotlight, there
is an added stimulus given to the
innate nobility of all humans.
A few of the wives said it would
all depend on whether or not they
loved their husbands whether they
would stand by them in such q
crisis.
Women, unfortunately or other
wise, don't love men for what they
do. They don't even love them for
what they are. And sometimes.
after a terrific shakeup. they find
that they love them more surely
than ever. And If a woman still
loves a man. of course she's going
to stick to him through anything
Then there are the children. Most
people feel they owe their children
a home-a home with two parents.
A mother who thinks first off ner
children-and most mothers do
will decide at once to give her hus-
band another chance-if he wants II
. Only a very hysterical or self.
conferred or vain woman would
turn from her husband in the first
shock Of such q disclosure. Or
perhaps a woman who could not
bear any compromise with truth
But are there such-amons mar.
ried women?
And afterward. Well, that would
depend on whether he could con
vince her 1t would never happen
again, on how much she found sine
still loved him, on whether there
were children, and on their sta
ton in life.
Angle Of SeIf.Supporting.
think with nonself-supportine
women the odds would be in favor
of q permanent reconcil alton. A
wife economically dependent on hel
husband can't afford to march GU
because she has been disillusioned-
or deceiVed-or even ill-treated. A
large percentage of marriages Srt
held together over the bad year!
by joint ownership, by inability t.
decide who would get the uprigh
piano.
l think very wealthy people wouIc
be apt to stick toge her. Becaus,
they do not see so much of eac!
other anyway. The home ties ar,
not so closely knit. The wife hai
other compensations- other dis
fractions.
Dut among self.supporting WON
en-, such a situation would be NOR,
| apt TO end. later, in a break. Self
supporting women do not feel the,
have TO put up with much. AM
| conventions do not bother them.
"A home for the children" say.
convention.
Bah, says the self-supportins
woman. "A home doesn't meal
just a roof. 1t means an al
mosphere. Children will be bette