The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-06-05

"What am I to do? My hus-
band goes out mysteriously
night after night and is sullen
when [ question him. He
seems to have lost all the old re-
gard and interest. Everything I do
displeases. Would you leave-what
would you do?"
my brother is the pet of the
family. AS long as can remember
the others have given up everything
for him. He nags me-hiS sister
continually and influences my
father and mother to keep me from
going out with my friends. His at
titude is growing unbearable. I
cannot even eat at the same table
in peace. Mother doesn't seem to
care if leave, but I'm only eighteen
and would miss her and dad so, I'm
afraid"
my son and daughter in-law are
tired of having me around. have
known it for some tirne-but can't,
somehow, make myself believe it is
true. I try to be as helpful and
pleasant as 1 know hoW-but can't
help but know that they resent my
presence. I am financially able to
leave-but it is so hard to think of
going among strangers. Wha t
should I do?"
GAIL is over. My wife confessed
she is tired of the house, the chill
dren and me. Should I let her go
without fuss? She can, I know,
support herself, but heavens, I just
can't give her up. Should I leave?
What do you adviser"
And on and on. The question,
in our opinion, ultimately comes
down to this point:
When Independence Dies
What, indeed, will we do when we
have lost our self-respect? When
we have cramped our personality
and cut off our independence?
The answer is: nothing. Nothing
ever has so elevated the human
spirit as its well-won right to con-
descend, as its power to give more
than it takes, as its ability to dawdle
with power for good or for bad.
Nothing ever will. A man must, of
economic as we'll as moral neces-
sity, have his self-respect and love
himself just little.
But he must watch this. Often
we would rather pity ourselves than
nf To u =
snuggle our wet, miserable faces in
a pillow and pretend that our 'sensi-
bility and not our honest man-pride
is the sore spot. In that case, we
fool ourselves.
Our daughters-in law, our boorish
brothers, our faithless wives and
husbands still are carrying on with
their nagging, boorish, INCONSISTENCY
in the next room.
We can't tangle self-pity and self
respect and keep straight. A per-
son who is genuinely sensitive will
blush and weep over lost pride
sooner than a lost home, a lost wife,
child, or husband.
What To Do
And the best advice to anyone in
situation similar to the authors
of the above letters is to rest elbows
on the same pillow instead of faces,
put chins in hands, and take dis
passionate stock of the situation
which is killing elf-respect and sub
Sequent happiness!
To the girl with the bad tempered,
nagging brother and the disinter-
ested mother I should say: Leave at
once and support yourself at all
costs, or give your family another
chance and help pay the home ex-
penses. In any case, get yourself
into situation to give more than
you take.
To all husbands, wives, and I'M
wanted "in-laws" do immediately
that thing which will give you pride
in yourself and make you in some
degree independent of those who
have offended you. In these cases,
it is chiefly up to the individual to
salvage himself from the wreckage.
But do it at any cost. Pride's the