The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-06

Wife Still
FLOn1iSheS
BY MARTHA LEE

How about the wife who simply
must go uptown to show or to
shop or to look around just about
every afternoon, or life is really
nothingP Who is she working hard
ship on and why?
The husband would seem to be
the suffering martyr. He comes
home from a hard days work and
gets can of beans, hastily heated,
hunk of cheese hastily bought and
a bakers cake with marshmallow
frostirg.
The children, who are left, first
with this person and then with that,
trying desperately to suit their dis
positions to various grown-upS, who
are so hard to please and under
stand at best.
Or the neighborS, who simply
can't see how she can get her house
work done up rightly and still find
time to fly around, catching street
cars and buses and shopping and
gossiping on the streets with friends.
But the truth of the matter is,
the hardship really works itself up
on the wife, who allows herself to
become too disconnected to remain
in her home, to do the work she
has chosen as a life vocation. How
long would her husband hold his
Job If he was rushing through things
sloppily all morning and as soon
as the sun got on the western side
of the sky took himself trotting
around to call, to shop, to play
pool?
Maybe the wife has been FORUM
ate. Perhaps her husband simply
dotes on canned beans and bakers
cakes with marshmallow frosting.
If he does the chances are he has
tasted his wifes cooking and has
decided that the Gamer does a much
better job.
And there is no greater hardship
than to have to admit defeat. A
wife who consistently does these
things has failed at her job. She
is a third-rate worker, Eand it is
merely through a. drag" that she
can expect to hold down the posi-
ton. And that's not very secure
feeling for any one to have.
Strangely enough, the letter that
brought this about IS not from the
long suffering husband, but from a
friend:
Dear Miss Lei am q young married
woman, "a. and have a little girl 3.
want to ask you an opinion on matter
that has been bothering me for some
time
I have a girl friend who is married and
has four children. She goes downtown
to the show or some place two and three
times a week in the afternoons. She
leaves her children with first one person
and then another. Just whoever she can
get to keep them. Then she comes rush
ing home just a few minutes before her
husband gets home from work and fixes
any old thing for his dinner.
She says I am a fool for not going
with her, instead of staying home and
working like do. She says my husband
would like me more If wouldn't be
such a slave to my housework. I keep
my home coy and clean and it takes
most of my time, so that feel I have
no time to go that many times in one
week. I think a man who works hard all
day likes to come home to a clean house
and a hot meal.
go places occasionally and take my
baby with me. I always get home in
time to get my husband a good dinner.
She says that a man will think just as
much of you. II not more. If you don't
stick at home all the time; that he will
appreciate a good meal twice as much If
there is one canned" meal thrown in for
good measure once in a while. Do have
the wrong slant on things? Am I old
fashion and doing things the wrong way2
WONDERING.
suppose it all depends upon the
husband. You are not old fashion,
but probably very wise and modern
enough to realize what it is your
husband wants of you. wouldn't
spend any time worrying about
whether you were doing the right
thing by being stay-at-home as
long as your husband acted inter-
eSted and seemed satisfied. And
little more about your friend, who
seems to be getting along all right
as is.