The Washington times., 1926-04-10
Beatrice Fairfax on
Meaning of True
Affection
By Beatrice Fairfax
Who Occupies q Unique Position
I'm the Writing World as an Au-
tIlOrity on the Problem Of
Love and Marriage

"Haw-haw."
The chorus of whittlers and to-
bacco chewers seated on kegs
and boxes in the village store and
postoffice chortled with glee over
s this age-long joke Of theirs, while
: the husband of the famous star
turned red, but tried to take the
kidding good
5 He was used to it. For 1t was
the remark that always greeted
him on his return to the tiny
mountain hamlet where he had
Z spent nearly every summer since
his early boyhood.
To the natives, the fact that
Jim, the lad they had grown up
with 20 years before had married
stage woman" who erned
fortune every season, and actu-
ally let his wife go on working
after their marriage, was a never
+ dying wonder.
They knew Jim had money OF
his own and that his wife had
retired for a year or two until
her restlessness drove her back
to the footights, which were the
very breath OF life to her. Yet
they never failed to '.kid'' the
) patient Jim about his soft snap
on his return each summer to
! boyhood haunts.
Jim was glad when his wife re
0umed her stage work because he
knew she was happier and health
Ter when she was acting. No one
night stands, NO interminabIe
New York run bored or exhausted
her. Yet the idle social life to
which she had retired on marry.
Ing the man she loved had been,
as her physician informed her
adoring husband, slowly killing
the temperamental young genius
The two understood each other
perfectly. Their unchanging af-
fection has weathered thirty years
Of married life. The brilliant
actress is playing mother parts
Soon she viii be a grand old
lady" Of the stage.
The two still feel tender affec.
ton for each other. which time
cannot dull. They are a perfect
example OF happy married friends.
Yet. to this day. there are mo-
ments when it hurts Jim more
than he has ever confessed zen
to himself. TO realize that his
wife is self-supporting and that
she makes far more money than
he is capable of earning.
Why should a woman's self
expression. SO necessary to her
mental and physical health, kurt
her husbands pride even when
that sell expression takes the form
OF earning money by means of
useful work? Yet the masculine
dislike OF accepting money from
: a woman is natural and fine.
After all, men are the natural
protectors Of women. They are
Z stronger and larger than women
And the average man is a more
successful money-naker than the
average woman. Man is the nat
ural leader and protector in family
lie just as surely as he is in the
dance.
A woman is never so happy as
when she is pleasing the man she
loves and she is never so happy as.
when he knows he is master OF her
happiness. For this reason, men are
{ likely to continue to pay the way
OF women they admire and value
as friends or SWeethearts when 1t
comes to those small attentions
and treats which afford an oppor-
tunity to express respectful admir-
alton ami devotion.
p Wives, in increa sing numbers,
are joining the ranks of wage
earners Lecause modern apartment
housekeeping is so easy and the
cost OF living is so high. Where
little children are not neglected
and where this work can be man
aged without the home suffering.
The idea Is wise. And under these
circumstances it's only fair that
wives should pay part of the fam
lily bills.
Finances are after all not the
great thing in life. Neither friend
ship nor love can be bought or sold.
SO much for SO much" is a poor
motto between friends. sweet
hearts or husband and wife.
But n a marriage of understand
ing love, both husband and wife
seek the opportunity to serve each
other even to that final test of love
either would gladly lay down his
life. The test of love is trouble.
When that comes. either a hus-
hand Of wife worthy of the name
will gladly put shoulder to tie
wheel and make any sacrifice
cheerfully that helps the other
through the difficult time. while
both are grateful for every cir
cum.tance. however seemingly Tn
Fortunate which binds them
closer in friendship and love.