The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-21
Just
Can Not Be
Good Losers
BY MARTHA LEE.

In spite of the fact that women
are exposed to as much education
as men (Which would presuppose
the results would be Similar, they
cling tenaciously to several OF their
most obnoxious faults.
For the most part, women have
improved about so per cent in caps-
city for companionship in the last
twenty-five years. In the first place,
they have discarded, and forced
men to discard, the idea that they
are little fragile dollhouse plants
that must be sheltered and protect
ed and cared for, else they will curl
up and die.
In the good old days when waists
we're wasp-like and women tainted
at the mere mention of anything
more strenuous than croquet, it was
unthinkable that women ever would
be companions of their husbands in
sports. Now wives have things ar
ranged so that they can be the
constant and complete mates for
their husbands. And that is a vast
Improvement over the old way.
Women Learn the Games
Women have learned to play the
games, but here's the rub. Most OF
them have not learned how to lose
gracefully. They lose the golf game,
but it is never because they did not
play perfectly if they had gotten
the breaks.
It was because they were dis
tracted on that last putt. When
they get a setback in tennis, it is
not because they weren't smashing
the ball a la Wills. Oh, no! Some
thing entirely outside the grasp OF
their power was the sole cause.
Now I'm not saying all women
are like this. There are exceptions.
But, for the most part, it is harder
for a woman to admit defeat
through her own fault than it is
for her to cut off an arm.
And if women are going to play
the game they must learn also to
lose with the grace and f1neness
that BELTS their appearance Of be-
ing sporting dDOuC GIlI1lSS.
Here's One GrOan
A woman who has tried to play
some fancy games on her husband
has lost, and she's groaning around
about it to the tune of this:
Dear Miss Lee: I have been married
five years and have, until recently. con-
sidered my marriage a fair success. My
husband is fine man, so fine in fact
that he is attractive to about every wom-
an who comes his way. At first l was
extremely Jealous. with the result I al
ways was miserable.
Although I had no particular reason
to believe him unfaithful to me, got
tired of seeing other women making over
him so much.
I was not without attraction myself,
so I began to accept the attentions of
other men, not because I wanted them,
but because it seemed to me the best
thing to DO. My husband never appeared
to be jealous. and that made me believe
he cared less for me than I at first
imagined.
One of these men has fallen in love
with me, and has caused me great deal
of trouble in my home. In fact, the re-
suit of the misunderstanding is that I
am going to lose my husband. The re-
suit of my actions is blow to me and I
am heart-broken. What shall I do?
M. L. K.
Well, my dear, I suppose you will
have to do the only thing there is,
and that is lose the game like a
good sport. You were playing a
hand against your husband and lost. |
He was, from all appearances, mere
ly accepting the attentions of other
women in a gentlemanly fashion,
and had taken it for granted you
were doing the same.
That is why he was not jealous,
because he thought you understood
the attention being paid him as he
understood the attention being |
given you. Your husband feels that |
you not only have been unfair to
him, but also to the other man,
whom you were using as an limo
cent foil.
You played unfairly with two
people, one against the other, and
lost. Now take your punishment |
like a good sport and reconstruct
your game so that you can play it
fairly.