Evening star., 1927-09-18
MnureiY but
nCpy

it's almost stopped growing, and the
devilsh part is I don't seem to care.
I'm in a rut; l know it. but haven't
energy enough TO pull out. I've lost
most of my ambition, and instead Os
going to medical societies and keeping
up with things I sit around and
smoke and read when practice is slow.
realize something is wrong. but L
can't put my finger on what 1t is. so
I've come to you for help"
AS DIR. Brown concluded his state
ment, DIR. Green Strengthened up in
his chair and said:
THAT'S pretty tough, Frank. but I
think we can get you back on your
feet. Let's go into the situation and
look at some Of it's strategic points.
I'll probably have to dig into your
personal life a bit, so don't get sore
if bring up family matters"
ITO make a long story short, the
- psychiatrist eventually pieced to-
gether the fragments Of his colleagues
history. When they were assembled
they made a picture of failure poign-
ant in its frustrated hopes and am
bitions. DIR. Brown had married an
estimable girl-estimable in every
thing, except that she possessed an
almost pathologic craving for secur-
ity. Perhaps the marriage itself
chiefly represented to her one means
Of attaining security. Even as a girl
she displayed the keenest fear, not
of specific things, like dogs or light
ming or the dark, but fear rather of
the time when she might become pen
aI1 nr,;t
course, there were at work deeply
hidden psychologist mechanisms con-
nected with this fear, but she was
consciously aware only of the need
for an almost frantic pursuit of a
position in life where the future would
be safe and secure.
Her marriage apparently marked
the success Of this pursuit, and she
felt that from now on, instead Of seek
ing further, all she need do was retain
the conquest already made and hold
her own. Her husband, she appre-
ciated, was good doctor in a steady
town. How good he was-in the sense
Of professional abi1ity-she had no
inkling. When the offer to become
health officer Of x was received she
Immediately foresaw in 1t a thousand
insecurities-it promised slightly
larger income than DIR. Brown was
making in Smithtown, but the Smith
town income was regular and certain,
and the work in x might last only q
year or two. She was sure it was
politically controlled; there probably
was q catch in 1t somewhere; maybe
q mistake had been made about the
salary; besides, these new ideas of his
about public health might not prove
practical, and, If SO, he wouldn't make
good and doubtless would be dis
charged-better stay in Smithtown,
where existence was safe and sound
and certain, IL not brilliant.
This same emotional reasoning was
applied to subsequent offers of other
opportunities, and because DIR. Brown
was a loyal, affectionate husband he
allowed his better judgment to be
pushed aside. But life became a drab
and routine affair. Mrs. Brown was
anxiously concerned only with the as
surance that on the first of each
month the bank balance was adequate
to meet the rent and butcher bills.
By tears, by cajolery, by recrimina-
tions and by dire predictions of the
future, she kept her husbands nose
to the grindstone. She couldn't allow
him to take chance, and his brilliant
potentialities were not permitted to
see the light Of day.
He had good stuff in him and the
makings Of rare scientist, but never
could he escape the humdrum cycle
OF daily work that called out only a
fraction Of his real ability. He was
not allowed to forget that his "wife
and family came first" and no amount
OF explaining could convince Mrs.
Rrntun that ~ ch1 4oII
taking a chance" the position of the
whole family would be improved as
much as his professional one.
At last he admitted defeat, put out
OF conscious mind his cherished hopes
and buckled down to the dull, color
less routine Of a general practice that
satisfied only a fragment Of his knowl-
edge that he was capable of doing
really big il only he would
stand out against his wife's pleadings.
The state Of mind he described to
DR.. Green was the result of being
and the psychiatrist ex-
plained to him how it was produced.
This case has a happy ending.
With the psychiatrist's help, Mrs.
Brown was partially made to see that
the handicap she imposed on her hus-
band was really imposed on the whole
ldIHiy as W0Il. "A llbCIo later anOtner
desirable opportunity arose in a dis
tant city, and the elements Of chance
connected with it being rather less
than usual. she was persuaded to
agree to his acceptance.
With much foreboding, she kept
her word, and now. only three years
later. after the brilliant handling of a
complicated piece Of public health
work, her husband is a national fig.
ure. She receives the congratulations
Of her friends with a proud "I-told.
you-so" manner. but deep down she
Is amazed and incomprehensive at his
success. and privately considers it due
to bit of luck rather than to any
special ability on his part.
X X X X
"A 7 the outset of this article it was
observed that only certain wives
caused their husbands to fail. Not
1nly is this observation confirmed by
everyday experience, but it is i'm
strengthened by the ex-
ample of a far greater number of
wives who are the principal cause of
their husbands success in life. A
look at some of the qualities pos
5essed by this latter type may prove |
profitable.
First of all, the wife who causes |
her husband to succeed almost GER |
.ainly has already achieved emotional |