The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-05
III:
Wife Turns
tOAnOther
BY MARTHA LEE

I have a most perplexing letter
today. II concerns the case of a
young married woman, whose hus-
band has been i'll in hospital for
two years. She has been keeping
company with young man for the
last few months. In the meantime,
she has neglected none of her
former attentions to her husband.
There are so many angles to such
a problem. Two years is a long
time to be deprived of the company
of husband. 1t is a long time to
sit by and watch the rest of the
world going to movies and taking
strolls and planning trips.
1t is normal, when one is young,
to want to take up large handfuls of
life and scatter it to the four winds.
But, when the marriage VOW is
taken, the contracting couples re-
peat this phrase "for better or for
worse" It is tough that the breaks
turned out for the worse" but it is
one of those things that life does for
us.
Here is the letter, which strong
ly suspect was written by the nus
band:
Dear Miss Lee-A young man has been
keeping company with young married
woman whose husband has been Ill for
almost two years. The young woman goes
to see her husband once each week and
does all she can for him. but do you think
she cares very much for him? If she did,
would she be accepting the attentions of
this other MANI What is your opinion of
the man? He knows the woman is mar
ried and knows her husband. They have
child years old. Her husband has
found out about the affair. What do you
think he should do?
A FRIEND.
You leave so much vital informa-
ton out of the letter Are the young
wife and the young man in love
with each other? If so, the affair is
morally and legally wrong. If the
girls husband had become too poor
to take her out, that would not JUS
tify her going out with some one
more able to take her If he had
been called away ON a long trip, that
would not make it right for her to
forget her loneliness in the company
of other men. If any case had
arisen wherein she was deprived of
the company of her husband, she
could not legally or morally be
justified in her association with
other men.
The keynote of her reasoning is
all wrong. She doubtless looks upon
herself, practically, as widow. She
is not, nor will be until the death of
her husband. Her duty is decidedly
and emphatically with her husband
until his recovery or death.
You ask what her husband should
do Nothing but make strenuous eff
forts to get well. Nothing but place
himself in the position of his wife
and figure out what he would do
under such circumstances.
When will girls learn that men adj
nnire and respect girls with pride
and ideals, and most of all girls who
stand by those ideals unerringlv?
Here is a foolish child who hopes to
win man by admitting she may
have been wrong in upholding her
ideals.
Dear Miss Lee-I have been going with
a boy for about four months. He Is my
idea of a regular boy friend or at least
that is what I thought at first. About
three weeks ago he asked me for a date.
He got bit too ardent with me and we
quarreled. I told him never could have
another date with him. But didn't know
what was saying. Now am sorry said
that, for since I have been away from
him, like him more than ever.
When he meets me on the street, he
won't even look at me, I believe If
would write to him he would come back. I
was the cause of the quarrel and I believe
he is waiting for me to come back. I be-
lieve he would forgive me and start al
over again. Should write or wait for him
to write?
LONESOME BLUE EYES.
What do you mean, he would for
give you? 1t seems to me, you are
the one to do the forgiving. If you
write him, and he does come back.
how long do you think it will last?
You have stood upon your ideals OF
friendship. Why not stay with
them? It will be sign of your
character, to him, if you do not.
Wait for him to come around, by all
means.